Pride, honor and family book one: Divisions
by osuwariboy
Summary: Sequel to aftereffects. Four months after their struggle with Akkimaru, trouble brews anew for the gang as Naraku comes back from the grave to haunt them.
1. The story so far

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha and the gang, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
**Personal note:** This isn't really a chapter, it's a summary of the prequel. It's meant only as a reminder of what happened so far because it took me so long to write this. I highly recommend you read After-effect, your understanding will be much better. Thank you.

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Hello everyone. First of all, I'd like to point out that this story is the long-awaited sequel to after-effects so before actually reading this story I recommend you actually read the other one or you'll feel kinda lost. However, for those who don't want to go back and read the prequel or for those of you who already read it but don't remember exactly what happened (I did finish it well over a year ago after all), well here's a summary of what happened in the last story.

First of all, Inuyasha's gang, after a fierce battle manage to finally defeat Naraku and recover the completed shikon jewel. However, the price of victory was high. Sango and Miroku were severely wounded and Kagome succumbed to her wounds in Inuyasha's arms. Desperate to save her, the hanyou makes a wish on the jewel and brings her back to life. However, this wish, as pure and selfless as it might have been wasn't enough to get rid of the sphere and the newly revived schoolgirl decides to use it on Kagura to free the youkai from the rest of Naraku's legacy. Unwilling to pass such an opportunity, the youkai accepts and she quickly finds herself completely free. The mark on her back is gone and even her scent changed. Anxious to finally enjoy her freedom, the youkai takes off into the night.

Back in the village, it's fixing time for the group as they finally get an opportunity to patch their wounds. The quest being finally over, Kagome is now faced with a choice. She can't continue to live her double life and she knows it. After much thinking and consideration, she decides to permanently move to the past with all of her friends.

Meanwhile, Kagome's not the only one who's enjoying her new life. Kagura too is thrilled by the fact that she doesn't have to follow anyone's orders ever again. As she hovers at the edge of a small village in search of food, the youkai meets a young girl named Yuna who she immediately feels connected to. A quick investigation reveals that the child happens to be a slave to a cruel couple. Unwilling to let this continue, Kagura frees the girl. However, in his anger, the man tries to shoot the youkai in the back. Seeing this, Yuna pushes her new protector out of the way and end up taking the blow for her. Enraged, Kagura's about to unleash a power unlike any she ever unleashed before... until Yuna's weak voice brings her back to reality. Now, with a wounded child on her arms and absolutely no idea how to treat her, Kagura's only hope is to get to Inuyasha's group before Yuna's remaining strength gives way.

A night's traveling brings the exhausted sorceress to the group's doorstep and it's all she can do to hand Yuna over before she collapses. She wakes up a short time later and is somewhat surprised by the acceptance she's faced with. After having fought the group for so long, she's now accepted as one of their own without so much as a question. Still, the new feelings she has just developed for the young girl are also a thing that bothers her. After having spent her entire life alone in Naraku's service, all it took was a chance encounter and she suddenly finds that a child has wound itself in her life, and what's more she finds herself actually enjoying it.

Back to the group, Inuyasha's wounds have recovered enough for him to accompany Kagome home to her time for her final farewell. However, on their way to the well, the schoolgirl exhibits some rather odd ability by almost outrunning the hanyou. Puzzled by this new occurrence, they agree to ask Kaede about it when they get back and resolutely jump down the well... about a minute before an unknown figure makes his appearance. It's a very tough moment for Kagome as she's forced to say goodbye to not only her family, but to a part of herself as well. Still, with the strength and support of all those she cares about, she manages to pull herself together and jump back down the well with a smile on her face.

They hardly had time to take a step out of the well before they're attacked however. The youkai named Mattemaru wants nothing less than the shikon jewel which of course. A fierce battle then ensues which Inuyasha has trouble controlling because of his injury. However, thanks to a purification blast from Kagome followed almost immediately by a kaze no kizu, their opponent is forced to retreat.

Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of their friend's battle, Kagura and Yuna enjoy their first breakfast together. This allows the sorceress to learn more about the girl she now considers her charge and see just how far she has to go before she can be totally free. With a solemn promise to always support and do their best for each other, the youkai gives one of her feather to the child to symbolize their bond and their promise.

The bliss is short-lived however as Inuyasha and Kagome returns with dire news. Someone's already after the jewel. Not knowing what to do to get rid of the offending relic, the group finally elects to send Kagome and Inuyasha to Midoriko's cave in order to draw the danger away, leaving Kagura in charge of protecting everyone. Before they leave however, Kagome's condition takes on a whole new development as she discovers that her spiritual powers are now tainted with youki. Still, there's no time to worry. She has a jewel to protect so she pushes everything back and jumps on Kirara's back.

On their way to the cave, the couple ends up meeting with Kagome's nemesis... Kikyo. Having made a pact with another youkai in order to reach them, the undead miko tries to make Inuyasha do good on his promise and make him follow her to hell. However, she underestimates Kagome's strength because the girl manages to completely disintegrate her opponent and reach them before the inevitable could happen. The antipodes of love clash together, each unwilling to give in, each unwilling to let what they care about the most in the world go to the other. However, in the midst of their challenge, they both come to realize that the one who's suffering the most through all this is Inuyasha. As a final act of love, Kikyo finally decides to reintegrate Kagome's soul in order to allow the hanyou she loves to truly move on with his life. In the calm after the storm however, Mattemaru makes his second appearance, this time to deliver some extremely worrying news. He wasn't the only one after the jewel... and the other party involved will stop at absolutely nothing to get their hands on it. Their friends are now in grave danger.

So it's now a race against time for the couple. Being four days away from the village already, their hopes of arriving in time are slim, but they go on nonetheless. However, it quickly becomes obvious that the grueling pace they set for themselves cannot be kept for long. With Kirara exhausted and unable to transform and Inuyasha with a twisted ankle, they are just about ready to give up when Kagome's condition evolves yet again, increasing her physical abilities enough to allow her to carry her companions the rest of the way. With that added bonus of strength, they finally arrive just in time to get rid of the youkai attacking their friends. However, all of their efforts prove to be in vain as a giant eagle comes out of nowhere and swoops down Shippo and Yuna's unsuspecting forms right in front of their noses.

Having fallen unconscious, Kagome finally learns the truth about her condition when Midoriko appears to her in her dream. Apparently, a speck of youkai blood present in her veins have been awakened when she was brought back to life and it's now trying to take over by sucking power from the shikon jewel. Problems just keep piling up for the girl and this new piece of information was just what she needed to bring her to her breaking point. Luckily for her, Inuyasha is there to comfort her until the storm has passed. In another room, Kagura too is mourning the loss of Yuna and it's Sango who snaps her out of her daze by making her realize that she's not the only one who's suffering.

Morning comes, the storm passes and the group is now ready to counterattack. Surprisingly, Mattemaru makes yet another appearance, this time bringing to them one of the youkai that had attacked them the night before and also revealing the name of their true enemy: Akkimaru. Pressing the spy for information they're able to determine where she's hiding and come up with a desperate plan to save their friends without handing over the shikon jewel.

Back to Shippo and Yuna, they too are thinking hard for a way to escape. However, they're time for reflexion is cut short when Akkimaru comes in to check up on them. Knowing she's in full control of the situation, she actually goes so far as to threaten Kagura. Something completely unexpected then happens. Anger awakens something deep within Yuna, a dormant power she hadn't even known existed. And in one mighty burst of energy, she throws their captor right through the wall. This does not stand very well with Akkimaru who threatens to kill Yuna for what she just did. Only Shippo's swift action managed to save the child's life. Still, through this fearsome ordeal, the two were able to discover that Akkimaru's staff was cracked. Knowing this might just be their only hope to tip the balance in their favor, they start to devise a plan to tell their friends about this.

Now, it's back to Inuyasha and Kagome as they near their destination. Having decided to send Kagura and Kirara through the back door while they go through the front, they go on, hoping that their plan would work. They end up meeting with Mattemaru on the way who kindly asks them to leave the jewel in his care once more. Before they have a chance to really answer though, an enormous blast shakes the earth, making them hurry their pace. They reach the source only to stare in awe at Sesshomaru who currently battles on with Akkimaru. However, it becomes obvious that something's definitively wrong with him as his moves are slow and sluggish. Seeing the new arrival, Akkimaru then finishes the fight pretty quickly by sending an enormous blast of energy at her opponent. Luckily for Sesshomaru, Tenseiga intervenes and teleports him away before the blast could connect.

The moment of truth has now arrived for Inuyasha and Kagome as they are faced with their opponent. However, it quickly becomes apparent that their plan will be pretty useless as they are standing amidst an open space some than fifty feet wide that completely prevents any form of surprise attack. Seeing their options rapidly dwindle to nothing, Kagome does the unthinkable... she absorbs what's left of the shikon jewel within herself. Her youkai blood thus empowered then transforms her and threatens to take over. Only a desperate action from Kikyo and an even more desperate crawl for Tessaiga saves her fleeting sanity.

The jewel thus emptied dissolves into complete nothingness under Akkimaru's baffled face. Angered by this unexpected turn of event, she raises a barrier that traps Kagome alone with her. Then, she uses her own powers to seal away the girl's spiritual powers and then challenges her to a fight. Midoriko then intervenes and gives Kagome her skills with a sword. Thus empowered, the girl is then able to put up a decent fight. However, with only an untransformed Tessaiga for a weapon, Akkimaru isn't long to overpower her. Trapped in a binding spell, Kagome can only watch as her opponent turns her attention to her friends. Desperate to protect them, the girl manages to summon the necessary power to break free. However, Akkimaru isn't at the end of her roll as she calls upon her giant eagle to do her dirty work for her.

The attack never comes though as Kagura and Kirara stops it. After a warm reunion between girl and sorceress, it's back to the fight. However, something's definitively different this time. Tessaiga having sensed Kagome's desire to protect her friends answers and actually transforms, much to the surprise of everyone present. Thus empowered, the girl is able to launch a fierce attack that Akkimaru barely manages to block. The youkai can only watch on in horror as her damaged staff starts to crack. In one last ditch effort to prevent the inevitable, she summons her powers... but this mistake proves fatal to her. Her damaged staff is no longer able to channel her energy and as such, she loses complete control of her spell. Kagome barely has the time to jump out of the way as the weapon explodes.

Finally, Akkimaru's threat is gone and the shikon jewel has been taken care of. It's now time for the group to head home. Kagome can finally acknowledge the pain she has been pushing back for so long and give in to her desire to be mated to Inuyasha. Her friends, though surprised by this unexpected development take everything in stride and welcome her with open arms. Yuna's mysterious outburst is also explained and it turns out she has the same type of powers as Kagura, though her element happens to be water instead of wind.

Yes, life is truly good for the group now. After years of fighting, they can finally settle down to enjoy a well-deserved peace. Or so they thought.

And so, after more than a year of waiting, I now present to you the sequel to After-effects, I proudly call: Pride, honor and family book one: Divisions.

I hope you will enjoy it.


	2. Prologue: Coming back from the grave

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha and the gang, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
**Special acknowledgement:** I'd like to thanks Watergoddess for helping me with the scenario and Sangoscourage for actually coming up with just about all the names for the places and characters. Without them, this story wouldn't have been possible :).

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**Prologue: Coming back from the grave**

**--- Final battle against Naraku, 4 month ago ---**

"I grow tired of this sorry excuse for a battle," said Naraku right before he made a swiping gesture with his right arm, sending his opponents flying back, screaming in pain.

A safe distance away, a pair of black eyes watched the battle unfold with total impassivity. The individual in question was a small girl dressed in white with equally white hair holding a mirror in her hands. Kanna of the void, the very first of Naraku's incarnation and also the last to remain faithful to her creator. Not that she had much of a choice in the matter, Naraku had taken away all of her emotions, leaving her a completely empty shell, merely capable of following his orders... which was exactly what she was doing right now.

---Flashback---

_She walked purposefully down the corridor of Naraku's castle. Her master had called for her and she was answering. Even if she had no emotions, it did not necessarily mean that Kanna was not aware of what was happening around her. For example, she knew that ultimate victory was close at hand and that Naraku would be leaving soon to confront Inuyasha and his gang for the last piece of the jewel. But that was about the extent of her reasoning process. Questioning why the evil hanyou was calling upon her now did not even cross her mind._

_Eventually, her steps took her to two sliding doors that opened by themselves when she approached. Behind them, Naraku stood waiting and his gaze immediately focused on her when she entered._

_"Yes?" she asked simply in her small and quiet voice._

_"Kanna, listen carefully to what I have to say," he began to make sure he had Kanna's complete attention. "I will be leaving soon to face off against Inuyasha and his friends. I want you to come with me and hide nearby. In the unlikely event of my demise, you are to go to the exact spot of my destruction and use your mirror. Do you understand?"_

_"Yes," she repeated with a small nod of her head to show she had understood the instructions given to her._

---End flashback ---

And so, that was why she was where she was, watching a fight that was over before it even started. As it was, the evil hanyou was literally pouncing on the gang while they in return could not so much as scratch him. But then, something unexpected happened. Wind started whipping around Naraku and, out of nowhere, an arrow shot through the night and hit him squarely in the chest. A blinding light then burst forth, so intense that she was forced to close her eyes. When it was all over, Naraku was on his knees with a completely bewildered expression on his face.

The tides had turned. Somehow, Inuyasha's gang had managed to see through his manipulations and turn them against him. Before he even had time to recover from the blow he just received, Inuyasha hurled his ultimate attack at him.

"KONGOUSOUHA!" she heard him yell.

She could see the attack rip apart Naraku's body until there was just nothing left but his heart. That too didn't last under the power of the diamond spears and it eventually turned into a fine dust that dispersed in the wind. And at the very moment the heart exploded and Naraku's soul found itself scattered, something exploded inside Kanna.

Dropping to her knees, the girl let her mirror clatter to the ground as she clutched her head in... something. While her first reflex had been to identify the alien sensation as pain, she quickly discarded this possibility. What she felt wasn't _exactly_ pain, though it did hurt like hell. It felt more like something had just awakened and was struggling against heavy bindings, causing shockwaves that shook her soul to the core. Just as she thought her head would explode, everything stopped, leaving her a dizzy and panting mess on the ground.

_"Sorry. I didn't realize I was hurting you."_

Pausing in her panting, the girl started looking left and right to try and locate who had just spoken, but try as she might, she could not see anyone. Her efforts did seem to amuse the voice somewhat because it let out a childish giggle.

_"Considering the fact that I'm in your head, I doubt looking around will allow you to spot me,"_ said the voice lightly, even childishly one would say.

Inside her head? What could that odd voice mean? At a total loss about what to do, Kanna did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed her mirror and looked at her reflection. Of course, the only thing she did see was her own emotionless face staring back which confused her even more, because yes, Kanna of the void did feel confusion at times, amongst other things.

While this statement may sound strange at first, if one were to think a little about it, he would understand the somewhat twisted logic that made her _feel_ when she technically had no emotions. While Naraku had indeed stripped her of her feelings in order to guarantee her faithfulness, he had not, however, taken away her ability to think. He had done so because thinking and reasoning on her own allowed her to carry out his orders with much more efficiency than if she had been a mindless automaton. This was essentially why some states of mind that were often associated with emotions – like confusion for example – were permitted for her... because there were times when her thoughts could not provide any answers about what was happening and what she was supposed to do.

Her unknown visitor didn't seem to find the current situation confusing however because the childish and most definitively feminine voice resounded again in her head.

_"Ah, so this is what I look like. Thank you."_

Deciding that it was high time for her to start to gather some form of information, Kanna opened her mouth just as a heart-ripping screamed echoed through the trees around her.

"KAAAGOOOMEEE!"

Pushing her unknown visitor to the side for the moment, she took her mirror in hand once again and shifted her attention back to the clearing. Inuyasha was currently holding the strangely-clothed girl in his arms and was vigorously shaking her as if she were trying to wake her up. It was futile however as, even from her vantage point, Kanna could easily see that the girl was dead – a fact that did not escape her inner counterpart either it seemed because she heard her gasp. There was no time for questions however because at this moment, the hanyou froze in mid-motion as he gently took a small vial that had been hanging around the dead girl's neck. And then, everyone abruptly scurried around, heads on the ground, obviously searching for something.

_"What are they looking for?"_ asked her unknown visitor curiously.

Kanna did not say a word. True, she did suspect what the answer might be, but she felt no need to divulge it to this stranger that had just popped in her head.

_"Well?"_ she urged when no answers were given.

"..."

_"You know, if you didn't want to answer you could have just said so,"_ huffed the unknown voice in annoyance.

"..."

_"Do you even know how to speak?"_ asked the stranger, pissed off by the silent treatment she was receiving.

Just then, a bright flash of light suddenly illuminated the clearing, thus diverting the unknown presence's attention away from Kanna for a few minutes. The two stared in complete amazement – well Kanna just looked impassively while her counterpart gaped in open wonder – as Kagome began to move again.

_"That girl is... alive again? That's impossible!"_ exclaimed the voice, completely baffled by this unexpected turn of events.

"So it seems," answered Kanna, for the first time gracing the stranger with some form of acknowledgment.

For some reason, the fact that she had actually talked seemed to surprise the presence just about as much as what they had just witnessed.

_"So you _can_ talk. I was starting to wonder if you were mute or something,"_ she said, her tone growing irritated once again.

"I do not speak when it is not necessary," replied Kanna in her ever so quiet voice.

_"So you're saying answering my questions was 'not necessary'?"_ questioned the girl's inner counterpart.

"Yes," replied the white-clad youkai.

There was a startled pause on the inner voice's part. Plainly, Kanna's bluntness had taken her off guard, but she quickly recovered.

_"Well at least you're honest,"_ observed the presence with an amused giggle. _"But why did you suddenly decide that it was 'necessary' to talk to me?"_

"You made it so," said the girl simply.

_"I made it so? Oh wait! Let me guess, you thought that by ignoring me, I would eventually go away. But since I showed no signs of shutting up, you decided to try and talk me into leaving, right?" _questioned the voice.

"Yes," murmured Kanna.

_"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but since I don't remember anything before waking up a few moments ago, I'm afraid you're going to have to put up with me until we can find a way out of this,"_ explained the stranger somewhat apologetically.

"Naraku might know a way to free you," commented the emotionless girl.

_"Naraku?"_ exclaimed the presence, her voice suddenly trembling with terror. _"I... somehow don't think... it would be wise to... reveal my existence to him... for both our sakes."_

"Why?" asked the white-clad youkai.

_"I don't know how I know... but trust me I know,"_ admitted the stranger, still a bit shaken up.

Another splendid light show emanating from the clearing diverted the pair's attention yet again from their conversation. This time, they could see that it was Kagome and Kagura who were in the center of it, though neither could tell exactly why.

_"I wonder how they actually do that,"_ murmured her inner voice pensively to herself

That brought the youkai girl to the subject at hand. During her years of existence, even though she could actually think for herself, she never really had to make an important decision. She merely carried out Naraku's orders and that was all there was to it. Now however, something totally unexpected had come up... and her master wasn't there to choose for her, so she had to do it herself. Having served Naraku for many years now, she had been able to see how his mind worked so she tried to apply the same reasoning to the current situation.

Now, Naraku was capable of the cruelest of action... and also some of the gentlest when need demanded it. The main line however was that, whatever he did, it always benefited him in the end. So if she was to keep quiet about this entire situation, it would have to benefit her in one way or the other. The thing was that she could not see how this presence could be beneficial to her. If anything, it was more of a hindrance than anything.

"If I am to stay silent... I will need a reason," she said after a few minutes of reasoning.

_"Well, as I said, I have a nasty premonition about Naraku..." _answered the presence.

"..."

_"... But I suppose you'll need a bit more than a hunch."_ she sighed. _"There isn't much I can offer you. All I can really give you is advice... and my word I won't hinder you in any way."_

"Insufficiant. By concealing your presence, I risk provoking Naraku's anger which will impede in my serving of him," declared Kanna emotionlessly.

_"Impede on your serving of him?"_ exclaimed the presence incredulously. _"Geez, do you do anything with your life aside from serving him?"_

"No," answered the white-clad girl.

_"And what are you going to do when he dies?"_ continued the inner presence.

"I will execute the last order he has given me," shot back Kanna, undeterred.

_"And after that?"_ urged the voice knowingly.

"I will..." but Kanna stopped short.

What would she do in such a case? If Naraku were to die and leave her behind... what would become of her? In her entire life, she never really had to think for herself, only follow his orders. But dead people did not issue orders. So she would be completely and utterly alone with no one to turn to... and absolutely nothing to do at all.

_"Well, looks like I got you there,"_ said the stranger.

While such a line would be normally be a taunting one, the serious and also slightly sad tone used by the unknown presence made it quite the opposite. If anything, she sounded even sympathetic toward the white-clad girl.

_"Tell you what. If you keep quiet about me then I'll help you learn to think for yourself,"_ proposed the inner presence.

"I already think for myself," countered Kanna.

_"I mean really think, not just reason shallowly like you do. I'll help you learn how to ask questions. I'll help you develop your own judgment, your own valors too. I'll help you determine what you like and don't like. This way, if Naraku dies then you won't be totally lost,"_ explained the stranger.

Kanna pondered over this for a few minutes. Would such a thing really be useful? Did she really need to learn all those things? It was much easier to just follow orders. But by applying her master's logic, one must always have a backup plan, something to fall back to when everything else failed. So maybe this could be it, her hidden escape. Naraku always had a hidden trapdoor somewhere, so it was only natural that she had one too. And so, for the first time in her life, Kanna made a real choice.

"I accept your offer," said the white-clad girl quietly.

_"Well, looks like we finally reached an agreement,"_ sighed the inner presence in relief. _"So, may I have the honor of knowing who I will be teaching?"_

"Kanna," answered the youkai girl.

_"Kanna eh? That's a nice name. Unfortunately, since I don't remember anything, I'm afraid I can't give you my real name. But for now, I suppose Shiro will do. It fits well with your outfit,"_ replied the presence playfully.

Not surprisingly, Kanna did not react to the pun. She merely looked on as her sister Kagura threw her feather in the air and took off in the night's sky to enjoy the freedom she had craved for all her life. Ironically, just as the younger of the two siblings managed to gain her freedom, the older one had just taken her first hesitant step toward it.

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_"So tell me, how long are you going to remain sitting under that tree?"_ questioned Shiro, boredom evident in her voice.

"..."

_"Great, there you go again with the silent treatment. I thought you agreed to let me help you?"_ she questioned with a frustrated sigh.

"I do not see how answering this question would serve such a purpose," answered Kanna in her normal and completely emotionless way.

_"And I don't see how I am supposed to help you if you won't even cooperate with me!"_ countered Shiro annoyingly.

"You were not trying to help me. You were trying to alleviate boredom," replied the white-clad girl.

_"Well geez sorry if disturbed your _very_ peaceful and also _very_ empty interior with my _very_ pointless retort, but spending an entire night under a tree is not exactly my idea of fun,"_ muttered the inner voice sarcastically.

"I am following orders," shot back Kanna.

_"Well, I sort of gathered that much. And I suppose asking you what order you are following would be futile,"_ grumbled Shiro.

"Yes," answered the girl.

_"Figures,"_ sighed the inner presence. _"And just exactly what are you waiting for anyway?"_

"... This," replied Kanna while pointing at the group of humans that were just now entering the clearing.

Forgetting her host for the moment, Shiro focused her attention on what was going on in the clearing instead. She could see the girl who had been revived the night before as she helped her wounded friends settle down comfortably in two carriages that had obviously been brought for that sole purpose. Words were exchanged, but she was too far away to hear them. Not that it seemed really important anyway.

Finally, after many long minutes of preparation, the wounded were secured and the group of humans slowly filed out of the clearing, leaving only a deserted battle ground behind. Only then did Kanna move out of her hiding place and walked to the center of the clearing. Shiro observed curiously as the girl turned her mirror sideway.

At first, nothing happened and the youkai girl's inner presence started to wonder a little on what exactly she was doing. But then she spotted a small volute of black smoke heading straight for the mirror. It was soon followed by another... and another and yet another. Before long, it was a continuous flow of blackness that Kanna's mirror was absorbing. And the more she absorbed, the clearer the features on the face appearing in the glass (though Shiro was not in any position to actually see it).

As much as the mirror seemed to be absorbing, it still took a good ten minutes for the process to stop and for the figure to open his eyes. Red eyes, confused at first, blazed with anger as the reality of his situation seemed to sink in.

"I underestimated them," said Naraku, his tone cold and emotionless. "I did not think Kagome and Kagura would see through my scheme and bring my heart back. Thanks to this, I have lost not only my body... but the jewel as well."

But then, his anger faded, replaced with cruel satisfaction. "A pity for them, I always plan for everything... including my own demise," he said before bursting into an icy chuckle.

Inside Kanna's head, Shiro suddenly jerked in surprise. Something about Naraku's laughter sounded awfully familiar, as if she had heard it before. A fleeting image appeared in her mind, too vague and blurry to really make out, but leaving her feeling inexplicably sad.

_"What... was that?"_ she asked herself. _"Have I... Have I... met him before?"_

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**Author's note:** Well, first of all, I'd like to thanks everyone for their patience with me, I've been working on this story for a while and I'm quite proud with the result. I hope you'll like it. In any case, if you're ever wondering, Shiro means white, thus the slight pun with Kanna's inner voice he he he.


	3. Darkness reborn

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha and the gang, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi.**  
**

**Special acknowledgement: **Many thanks to Neko kiki for correcting this chapter as well as to Sangoscourage for actually coming up with the names of the extra characters in this chapter (Satoru and Hiroshi). Thanks to you two :)

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**Chapter 1: Darkness reborn**

Walking slowly down the road, the monk spotted a traveler's relay and breathed a sigh of relief. He had been walking since dawn with the sun beating relentlessly on his back. What's more the air was extremely humid and not a speck of wind came to lighten this oppressively hot day. Sitting down on a bench, he deposited his staff beside him and started fanning himself with his hat.

"May I help you, houshi-sama?" asked a nameless waitress after a few minutes of waiting.

"Some water and a light meal if you please," he answered simply.

Nodding in assent the woman disappeared into the hut, leaving him to listen to hubbub of conversations around him.

"... I'm telling ya! The waitress' a babe..."

"... Yeah! Just watch those curves, it's enough to make any man drool..."

The monk sighed in exasperation before catching himself. This was a traveler's relay and as such, all sort of people could be found here. Just because they were weak didn't mean they were necessarily bad.

"You gonna take the southern road?"

"You're kidding right? The next village's cursed! Anyone venturing in doesn't make it out!"

Now there was something interesting that definitively caught the man's interest. Unable to contain his curiosity, he stood up and headed for the table where the two travelers were having their conversation.

"Excuse me good sirs. I could not help but overhear your conversation," he interrupted with a respectful bow.

"What about it houshi-sama?" questioned the first man.

"My name is Hiroshi and I happened to hear you say something about the next village being cursed, am I right?" he questioned again.

This caused a shadow to fall on the two men's faces. "You're obviously not from around here or you would surely have heard the rumors," replied the second man while inviting the monk to sit with a gesture from his hand.

"No, you are right. I come from a temple far in the north," answered the priest.

"Thought so," shot back the first man. "Well, the truth is that no one knows exactly what's going on. For months now, people have been trying to dig out the truth, but anyone who ventured too close has never been seen again. Crazy rumors have been flying around about a white girl stealing souls and people being transformed into youkai... but those are just fairy tales," explained the first traveler somberly.

"Even fairy tales and crazy rumors have a foundation of truth. How did they start if everyone who ventured close never made it back?" questioned the monk, confused.

Only silence met his question. From the faces of his two companions though, it was clear that there was still one key information that they were holding back.

"Well?" he urged again.

"Houshi-sama, I'd really stay away from this village if I were you. If you go there, you'll die for sure," shot back the first man fearfully.

"That's right! Please, you have to let this matter drop, it's not worth it!" exclaimed the second traveler in the same tone.

"If it can save the lives of others then it is my duty to see this curse lifted. Now please tell me the source of all these rumors," said Hiroshi firmly.

Again, the two travelers hesitated, but after a few moments, they finally gave in.

"All right. If it's what you want. But don't say we didn't warn you," muttered the first man darkly. "What we said about there being no survivors wasn't entirely true. There is one person who managed to escape. A man that goes by the name of Satoru. He was found shortly after the whole thing began. Poor man had completely lost it. He was totally incoherent. None of what he said made any sense. But amidst all of his nonsense, the doctors were able to make out some stuff about a white girl and people transforming into youkai. That's essentially what started the rumors."

"And that man, Satoru, is he still alive?" inquired the monk.

"Oh yeah, he's still alive... but as I said, he blew it completely. The last I heard, the poor fellow was taken in by an old lady in the village to the east of here. Refuses to see anyone and almost eats nothing at all," answered the second traveler with a humorless chuckle.

"And that village, is it far from here?" questioned Hiroshi.

"You really mean to get to the bottom of this do you houshi-sama?" asked the first traveler incredulously.

"As I said, my duty is to help people and as such I must see this curse lifted," replied the monk solemnly.

"Well, we've done what we can to try and talk you out of this hopeless ordeal," shrugged the second man in dismissal. "If you want to meet Satoru, just take the eastern road and in three hours top you'll reach the village."

"Thank you good men. Your information was most precious. I really hope it will lead to the lifting of the curse," bowed the priest before standing up.

"Yeah, so do we... for your sake," answered the second man while lifting his glass in dismissal.

Having regained his seat, Hiroshi ate his meal hastily, eager to be on his way. This whole curse business had greatly intrigued him and he couldn't help but wonder what could have caused this terrible curse on this village.

Leaving the relay and taking the eastern road as instructed, he, all lost as he was in his thoughts, never noticed the pair of emotionless black eyes watching him from the nearby forest. As his shape grew smaller and smaller in the distance, the white-clad figure turned around and disappeared northward through the trees.

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By the time Hiroshi reached his destination, the sun sat very low in the sky, tainting everything a nice shade of orange. The village being rather small, it didn't take him very long to locate the house he was searching for. A few minutes of walking lead him to an average-looking hut in front of which a woman was currently busy folding her laundry neatly into a basket. 

"Good evening my good lady," he greeted when he was close enough.

"Good evening to you too, houshi-sama. What can an old lady like me do for you?" she asked without preamble.

"During my travels, I have heard some disturbing tales about a cursed village and... " he began, but the old lady cut him off.

"So you came to see Satoru? He doesn't see strangers. He hardly talks to me as it is," she said with a disapproving frown.

"Regardless, I have to try and talk to him. I wish to uncover the truth behind what happened to him and his village," insisted the priest respectfully.

"Very well, I can't help it if you want to see him... but I doubt he'll even open his door for you," sighed the old woman in discouragement.

Motioning for him to follow, she proceeded to lead him into the hut and down a narrow corridor. They walked until they reached two sliding doors right in front of the other. Turning in front of the right one, the woman gestured for him to remain quiet for the time being.

"Satoru-san? You have a visitor, a young monk has come to see you," she said.

The answer was almost immediate. "Go away!" exclaimed the panicked voice of Satoru. "He's not a monk! He's a demon in disguise! I can tell from here!"

"I told you he wouldn't see you," said the woman in resignation. "The poor fellow has completely lost his mind."

"May I try to convince him?" inquired the monk respectfully.

"If you want, but I highly doubt it will accomplish anything," accepted the woman with a shrug. "I'll be down the hall if you need me."

Alone in front of the door, the monk then started to appeal to the man inside. "Satoru-san, my name is Hiroshi and I have heard of your tale. I am deeply saddened to hear of your suffering and I offer you my help to alleviate some of your fears."

"I said get lost!!!!!!" snapped the man inside. "If I open my door, I know he'll get me!"

"Who will get you?" questioned the priest curiously.

"You know perfectly well who I'm talking about!!!! Don't play dumb!!!" exclaimed the barricaded man angrily.

"I assure you that I have absolutely no idea who you may be talking about," countered Hiroshi patiently.

"Nice try, but I'm not falling for it you bastard! The moment I open this door, you'll suck me into your mirror just like you did everyone else!" cried Satoru.

"Mirror?" questioned the priest, somewhat taken aback by the bits of incoherent information he was getting.

"Yeah, a mirror! A mirror that sucks in the souls! I saw you do it so you can't trick me!" snapped the barricaded man once again.

"Tell me Satoru-san, if I can prove to you that I am indeed a monk and that I am not wishing you any harm, will you let me in?" asked Hiroshi, desperate to finally be able to see and talk to this desperate and obviously terrified man.

"... Maybe," answered the man somewhat hesitantly.

"Then look carefully at your door," replied the monk before chanting a few arcane words.

A few seconds only after the beginning of his chant, the door started to glow of a pure and warm blue light. Stopping his chant, the priest tried to resume his conversation with the man inside the room, hoping that his little demonstration was convincing enough.

"I gave you a demonstration of my spiritual powers. What you currently see on your door is an aura that is designed to dissolve any form of evil that comes in contact with it. Now if you have been in contact with whatever it was that caused this curse to fall on your village, then some part of your clothing must retain some of the youki from the attacker. If you throw it against the barrier I have created, it should dissolve away," explained the monk.

"Move away," ordered Satoru wearily.

Doing as told, Hiroshi stepped back until he had reached the beginning of the corridor and he waited. From his current position, he could not hear exactly what was going on in the room, but he thought he heard some shuffling. After a few minutes, he saw his barrier spike in reaction to youki coming in contact with it and he smiled in satisfaction. Another long silence then followed this as Satoru was obviously considering whether or not letting him in.

"Houshi-sama?" called the barricaded man.

"Yes Satoru-san?" answered the monk, hopeful that his proof had been enough.

"It may spell my death, but... come on in," muttered the man from inside the room.

Sighing in relief, Hiroshi made his way once again to the door and let himself in. The sight that greeted him was definitively not a pretty one. Fear had done its ravage on Satoru. He was sickeningly thin and his gaze was glassy, the sort of gaze that a man would wear after seeing some unspeakable horrors. When he saw him though, his gaze seemed to light up with relief and his shoulders sagged in weariness.

"So you really are a monk after all," observed the man, more to himself than for the monk.

"Indeed I am," agreed the priest solemnly. "Now if it isn't too much to ask, would you mind explaining to me what exactly happened?"

"It all started about four months ago. A strange plague fell on the village. People started getting sick one after the other. Terrible fevers that rendered those infected completely delirious. No one understood what was going on and our healer was completely powerless before this sickness. As the days passed, the number of victims increased until only a handful remained unaffected," started Satoru, his eyes growing distant in remembrance.

"And then what happened?" urged Hiroshi gently.

"One night... I couldn't sleep at all so I remained wide awake looking at the ceiling of my hut. That's when I heard a strange noise coming from outside. Carefully, I peered through my door and that's when I saw her. A young child, all dressed in white and carrying a small mirror in her hands. I saw her enter the barn where I kept my rice reserve. A few minutes later, I saw her walking out and disappear into the night. I didn't dare go out there in the middle of the night so I waited until the next morning to try and see what she had done," continued the man, trembling in fear at the mere souvenir.

"And? What did you find?" questioned the monk, once more bringing his witness back to reality.

"It took me hours of searching to find it, but I eventually did... in my bags of rice. I found... this," answered Satoru while fishing something from his pocket and handing it to the monk.

The object in question looked almost exactly like a grain of rice. However, if you looked close enough, there were some slight differences. It was slightly longer, and also, the ends were both very pointy, so pointy in face that one could have pinched himself with it and drawn blood. There was only one thing in this entire world that could look like this and produce such effects as the man had described.

"A kuroyoshu's egg!!!" exclaimed the monk in both surprise and disbelief.

"Well whatever it's called, I found two of these in my bags of rice. I threw the first on your barrier a few moments ago and it dissolved so I wager it must be youkai related... and I also suppose it's what made everyone sick," answered Satoru grimly.

"And did you try and spread the news?" asked the priest.

"Yeah I did... and a fat load of good it did too!" exclaimed the man in frustration.

"We all began sorting through our rice supply to try and see if anymore of those strange things could be found and, sure enough, we were able to extract quite a number of them. We didn't know exactly what to do with them so we stored them safely away to deal with later. We all stored the food supply in the same shed and started posting guards to keep the white girl from placing her stuff and infecting more of us," said Satoru, his eyes once again growing distant.

"Did it work?" questioned the monk.

"Yeah... it worked all right. The girl didn't come back... but she didn't have to. Because the sickness was just the beginning of our trouble. Before long, the infected people gradually started transforming into blood-thirsty monsters. There's no way to describe what they look like, but I assure you, it's absolutely hideous. If you're unlucky enough to stand in its way... then you're as good as dead," explained the man, shivering in terror.

"I see... and so, what did you do exactly?" asked the priest, endlessly patient.

"We did the only thing we could. We mounted an expedition to try and find where the white girl was hiding," answered Satoru grimly.

"I wager it did not go exactly as planned," concluded Hiroshi logically.

"The only thing that did go according to plan was that we found that damn girl! But the way it all happened, I think it might have been the other way around. She popped out right in front of us before we even had time to leave the village. She didn't bat an eyelash, didn't even say a word. She simply turned her mirror sideway and suddenly, I could feel my soul being sucked out of me. I could see all my friends collapsing beside me under the effect of this girl's mirror. I was lucky enough to be the furthest back... maybe that's what saved me... I don't know, but one thing was for sure. The next thing I knew, I was running for my life... and I ran until I simply couldn't run anymore. And I eventually ended up here," concluded Satoru.

"Satoru-san, I know how hard it must have been for you to tell me of these events... but I guarantee you that your suffering has not been in vain. I swear to you that I will avenge your friend's death and that I will kill the youkai responsible for this sickening act," promised the monk solemnly.

"I'd be careful if I were you monk. This girl may be small, but if she catches you with her mirror, all the powers in the world won't save you," replied the man to the leaving priest.

"Do not concern yourself... I shall be extremely cautious and the next time I come back, it will be with the news that the evil has been purged," reassured Hiroshi before turning and leaving, effectively hiding his grim expression from the other man present.

_"Kuroyoshu are supposed to be extinct! How on earth did this girl get a hold of something like this?"_ he asked himself, his thoughts whirling with possibilities.

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Warily making his way on the road leading to the forsaken village, Hiroshi kept his senses widely open for anything that might signify an attack of some sort. He had spent the better part of two days preparing for the task of purging the village. His pockets were full of sutras and his mind was as clear as it had ever been, devoid of all fear and confusion... the perfect state of mind to terminate such a powerful mononoke.

In opposition to his peaceful interior, nature had chosen to don its most raging outfit. Clouds hung very low in the sky and thunder rumbled in the distance. It was obvious to even the blindest onlooker that a storm was coming, though for the monk, this storm was of a different kind.

Suddenly, to his left, something moved through the woods. Like lightning, his arm shot out and the creature that had tried to ambush him suddenly howled in pain as the powers contained in the charm purified it, leaving only a smoking corpse behind.

The creature in itself was hideous. Its skin was composed of pitch black scales that were hard enough to withstand being hit by a sword. Its face was bestial, an enormous mouth filled with sharp teeth and yellow eyes that were devoid of pupils. Its arms were grotesquely deformed with hands that ended up in razor-sharp claws. If the monk hadn't known what was going on, he never would have guessed that this creature had once been human.

"Kuroyoshu... parasites that devour the mind of they're host and then takes over the empty body that's left behind. So far into the infection, there's nothing I can do to save these poor souls... only put an end to their eternal suffering," murmured the priest before offering a small prayer to his fallen opponent.

Resuming his progression, he made it to the outskirt of the village without anymore incidents. Before him, the houses were all completely decrepit. Doors were thrown off their hinges, windows were ripped open, gaping holes had been made in the wood of the huts. Everything in this village screamed of complete abandon... but Hiroshi knew better. He could feel the heavy youki emanating from the place. Whoever had done this was still in the vicinity and he was determined to find him.

As he passed by a house, a hideous figure suddenly jumped at him. Reacting like lightning, the monk pivoted and sliced vertically with his staff. His opponent fell back with an inarticulate gurgle, blood slowly oozing away from the wound on its chest.

That seemed to mark the beginning of the hostility because opponents began to appear from every direction at once. Dozens of hideously disfigured creatures that had once been human. Moving with surgical precision, Hiroshi slashed and cleaved his opponents off one by one, using as little sutras as he could manage, reserving them for the real fight that waited ahead. Indeed, he was certain now that this fight was a test, otherwise, these creatures would not be attacking him in an organized wave like this, they'd merely be charging him blindly.

Finally, with one last blow from his staff, the last creature fell to the ground, dead. Panting slightly from exertion, the priest righted himself and recited a small prayer for the repose of the souls of the fallen villagers he had put out of their misery. He had just finished reciting his words when suddenly, he caught a flash of white disappearing behind a nearby house. Knowing he had spotted the one responsible for these events, he immediately bolted after it.

Still, when he rounded up the corner, all he could do was stop short in surprise. What greeted him was a young girl that looked no older than ten holding a mirror in her hands. Her face was completely impassive and she did not move by an inch. If he hadn't known better, Hiroshi may have thought he had come face to face with a statue. However, the description Satoru had given him fit perfectly with the apparition before him so he did not lower his guard.

"Name yourself mononoke!" he demanded firmly.

Instead of answering, the girl started twisting her mirror sideway. Knowing exactly what was to come, the monk planted his staff in the ground and raised a protective barrier around himself. The mirror flashed once as it activated and immediately, Hiroshi started to feel its powers pull at his shield. However, the barrier held true and his soul did not get sucked in to the mirror.

For the first time since he saw her, Hiroshi saw his opponent react. The girl in front of him blinked, as if she had not expected her mirror to fail her before returning it to its original position.

"Your powers are useless against me mononoke! Now name yourself and explain the reason behind your treacherous acts!" he demanded again.

"Well, I would say I am pleasantly surprised by your performance monk," said a voice that made Hiroshi blink in confusion.

Either the girl had just developed a talent to speak with a man's voice without moving her lips... or someone else had just said that. As if on cue, a figure suddenly materialized in the girl's mirror. A figure with black hairs and demonic red eyes that were so cold and calculating that they froze the blood of the priest. Before he could react, the... man spoke again.

"I was getting tired of the usual weaklings. It was about time someone like you showed up," said the man again.

"So you're the one behind all this! Who on earth are you!" exclaimed the monk.

"People call me... Naraku," answered the man inside the mirror.

Thunder shook the earth around them when the name was spoken and the wind abruptly picked up. It was as if the heavens themselves stirred at the mere mention of the evil hanyou' name... and they weren't the only ones. Hiroshi's very heart skipped a beat when he heard it. While he never met this notorious figure personally, words of its devious deeds did reach his ears and as such, he knew quite well what he was capable of.

"So you're Naraku," observed the monk grimly. "I thought you had been struck down four months ago."

The priest watched with some degree of satisfaction his opponent's face darken at the mention of his defeat. It lasted only a second though before the sinister smile returned. "A slight miscalculation that indeed led to my current predicament. Fortunately, this irritating situation is about to end."

"What do you mean?" asked the monk growing increasingly wary of Naraku's figure.

"It's actually quite simple monk. _I_ need a new body... and _you_ are going to provide it for me," chuckled the evil hanyou darkly.

"And you honestly think I will help you with this?" shot back Hiroshi with eyes narrowed.

"You really don't understand a thing do you? Your presence here is no accident. I lured you here! I deliberately allowed the rumors to fly just so you could pick up on them and come here!" snapped Naraku, his gaze hardening.

"So Satoru..." began the monk in sudden realization.

"He thought he discovered the kuroyoshu's eggs by himself, but I'm the one who allowed him to find them," replied the dark figure in the mirror.

"You manipulated him from the very beginning!" realized the priest in horror. "It wasn't luck that he escaped... you deliberately let him go, knowing he had the eggs in his pocket!"

"Exactly. I knew someone would pick up on the trail eventually, it was just a matter of time," snickered Naraku darkly.

"Unforgivable!" exclaimed the monk angrily. "You killed an entire village! You ravaged a poor man's mind! All of this for the sole purpose of finding yourself a new body? I cannot allow you to get away with this!"

"If you want so much to see me dead monk, all you have to do is strike down Kanna. After all, without her, I'll be trapped in this mirror forever. Only she has the ability to operate it and release me," taunted the evil hanyou.

Looking at the perfectly immobile girl before him, Hiroshi felt suspicion swell inside him. A youkai of Naraku's caliber could not possibly be foolish enough to reveal his weakness to his opponent like this, especially since he seemed to have no real way of counter-attacking himself. Deciding to play it on the safe side, he fished out two sutras from his pocket and threw them at the girl.

He was only half-surprised to see them stick to her face... and slide to the ground without so much as a fizzle. Raising his eyebrow in confusion he repeated the gesture, but it produced no more result than the first time.

"How is this possible? My sutras have no effect at all!" exclaimed Hiroshi.

"Monk, meet my very first creation: Kanna of the void. This girl has the particularity of having absolutely no presence at all," snickered Naraku sinisterly.

"No presence means no youki... which means that sutras will be completely useless against her," concluded Hiroshi grimly.

"Very astute of you. So basically, to kill her, you will have to get closer and use your staff," dared the evil hanyou, his evil smirk never leaving his face.

"I won't fall for such an obvious trick!" replied the monk. "If I get too close then even my barrier won't protect me against the mirror's powers anymore."

"You are indeed a smart one monk. It then appears that we are at a stalemate. So, what will you do?" questioned Naraku.

Hiroshi didn't answer right away. What his opponent said was essentially true. He was currently too far from the girl to use his staff... but to get within range meant being exposed to the mirror's power. There had to be a way of breaking this impossible situation. But what could he do? Sutras were useless and it was his only weapon that would reach his target at this range.

_"If only I could find something else to throw to this girl,"_ he thought before something suddenly clicked in his mind. _"Wait! The real opponent isn't Kanna it's Naraku. That manipulating mononoke! He deliberately diverted my attention from him. He wanted me to focus on Kanna while in fact, all I have to do is destroy the mirror to get rid of him!"_

Chuckling for the first time since the beginning of the encounter, Hiroshi fixed the evil hanyou with a death glare. "You have played your hand well Naraku. But unfortunately, you happened to make another miscalculation. You underestimated me... and it will cost you what's left of your life!"

Not leaving his opponent time to react, he threw his staff as hard as he could toward the mirror. He watched with great satisfaction the eyes of the evil hanyou widen in horror as the projectile got closer to him. But then, something unexpected happened. Instead of breaking the glass as he had expected, his staff started entering the mirror instead, much to the monk's horror.

When it was all the way in, Kanna pointed her mirror straight at him... and the staff that had just entered the mirror was abruptly expelled and sailed through the air, heading straight for his chest. In one desperate leap sideway, Hiroshi managed to avoid being impaled by his own weapon by a mere inch. He didn't have time to recover though because the voice of Naraku resounded once again, cold, merciless... and extremely satisfied.

"Tell me monk, the barrier you raised earlier, unless I am mistaken, you needed your staff to create it, am I right?" chuckled the evil hanyou.

At this, Hiroshi's blood froze in his veins. "This was what you wanted all along! You manipulated me from the very beginning!" he accused rather futilely.

"You are smart monk... but I'm afraid you really are no match for me," answered the figure right as Kanna turned her mirror sideway.

The priest screamed as he felt his soul being ripped out of his body. In a desperate movement, he threw sutras at the mirror, but they dissolved before they even reached their intended target. The only result it had was to amuse Naraku even more than he already was, causing him to laugh insanely. And, as the last of his soul left his body and entered the mirror, a black mist in turn exited it, heading straight for the now empty shell that had been Hiroshi.

For a while, the monk's body remained absolutely motionless, but then his fingers twitched... and then his hands and his arms. Finally, the eyes of the priest opened to reveal the two crimson orbs that could only belong to Naraku. As he looked at his new limbs and tested his new body, the storm that had been brewing until now finally exploded in a deafening crash of thunder. Torrents of rain began falling from the heavens and lightning streaked the sky, but Naraku paid it no mind, if anything, such a sinister weather suited his mood perfectly. Opening his arms wide, he turned his face skyward and began to laugh, darkly, sinisterly, loudly, maniacally. He didn't care about the rain beating down on him. He didn't care about the water drenching his new clothing. He didn't care that his voice was being drowned in the hurricane blowing around him. Right now, he was alive again... the time for retribution had finally arrived.

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**Author's note:** Well, Naraku's back... and he's not too happy about having his previous body destroyed. What sort of scheme has he planned for the gang? Only future will tell he he he.


	4. The new ambassador

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha and the gang, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi.**  
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**Special acknowledgement: **Many thanks to Neko kiki for correcting this chapter as well as to Sangoscourage for actually coming up with the names of the extra characters in this chapter (Satoru and Hiroshi). Thanks to you two :)

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**Chapter 2: The new ambassador**

Somewhere in the western regions of ancient Japan lay a high mountain range so steep and abrupt that everyone had long ago given up the idea of trying to reach its summit. However, if one had actually succeeded, he would have discovered nothing short of a hidden paradise. A beautiful valley, rich and fertile filled with a luxuriant vegetation... and also a city. Makurazaki was a model of architectural splendor and liveliness. Merchants cried out their wares, people exchanged gossips, laughed and enjoyed what could only be called a peaceful existence. Now and then, a patrol of armored officers could be seen doing routine patrols to ensure order was maintained but they proved to be more of a dissuading figure than anything else.

All in all, this city was pretty much like any other city, the only thing that distinguished it from others of the like was its inhabitants. Indeed, if one were to look carefully, he would notice immediately that several people sported various inhuman features like claws, tails, pointy ears and fangs. Yes, Makurazaki was a city of youkai... and not just any city, the capital of the western lands ruled by none other than Sesshomaru.

And of course, at the top of a small ridge lay the fortress of the great ruler. Enormous, magnificent and perfect in just about any way, it towered over the city, inspiring awe and admiration to anyone who looked at it.

Still, as beautiful as Makurazaki was right now, things had not always been this way. The death of Inu-taisho and the disappearance of the rightful heir Sesshomaru, had plunged the entire country into chaos. Inner struggles had gradually broken the lands apart as every lord had tried to claim supreme leadership, only to see his authority contested almost immediately.

Divided and weakened as it was, the only thing that had kept the lands from being swallowed by its eastern neighbor and all-time opponent was ironically... Naraku. Unwilling to be burdened by such a troublesome foe, the leader, lord Takeo wisely decided to leave the "filthy dogs of the west", as he liked to call them, to fend for themselves.

However, the moment the evil hanyou disappeared, things changed radically and the smaller lords of the western lands started to fear for themselves as neither had enough military might to counter the immense armies rapidly massing at their borders.

And then, like a phoenix rising from its ashes, Sesshomaru reappeared. Emerging at the head of the northern lands army, beside lord Renjiro himself, he successfully drove the invading army off. Soon after that, he officially claimed his rightful position and no one had dared to contest his authority. That was how, after many years of chaos and bloodshed, the western lands could finally look forward to another age of peace.

But peace is a fleeting thing. Everyone wants it, everyone yearns for it, but when it is finally attained, all it takes is a tiny spark to set the flames of war roaring again. And in this case, the spark in question presented itself in the form of a mounted delegation from the eastern lands that crossed the streets of Makurazaki in direction of the castle.

All around the dozen or so guards, people stopped and glared. There had always been a strong antagonism between the two lands. The east being mostly populated by felines and the west by canines, this fact did not really come as much of a surprise. Despite the claims from both sides that they had evolved beyond such primitive instincts, they still took every opportunity they could find to lash at each other.

Still, in spite of the obvious hostility from the inhabitants, everyone knew better than to attack an ambassador without provocation and the group feline youkai made it safely to the gates of Sesshomaru's castle. As soon as they got close enough, the two gigantic doors slid open to allow the group of youkai inside.

They were greeted by two rows of soldiers, all wearing a white uniform sporting Sesshomaru's crimson flower insignia on the shoulder pad, proclaiming them his personal guard. Each of them was standing at full attention and at a barked command from their superior, they all saluted as the delegation passed between them.

When they reached the end of the makeshift corridor, the group of feline youkai dismounted from their horses and immediately, servants scurried to take the animals to the stable where they would be able to rest. At last, the diminutive form of a toad youkai carrying a staff at least three time his size marched forward and bowed respectfully.

Since he had been appointed as Sesshomaru's secretary, Jaken had shed his plain brown kimono for a richer and more decorated one bearing his lord's colors, namely yellow and purple. At first, no one understood what had compelled their lord to such a ridiculous action. However, after three lesser lords found their plans to gain Sesshomaru's favor explode in their face for no apparent reason, the objections died out. So, seeing as the toad youkai proved to be more than able to fulfill his duties, everyone decided to let this matter go and simply accept things as they were. Surprisingly enough, the "accidents" ceased soon after that, pretty much confirming the toad youkai's involvement even if there was no actual proof of it.

"Lady Matsuko, I must say it is both an honor and a surprise to have you among us today. If I may ask, what exactly brings you here today?" said Jaken in a formal tone.

"I have come to relieve lord Katsuka of his duties as ambassador. My lord was rather... disappointed by his poor performance, so I have come to fill the position in his stead," answered the cat youkai politely.

There was a second of stunned silence on Jaken's part as he digested this information. Now _that_ was one of the best news to arrive here in months. Katsuka was nothing less than an arrogant bastard who spent his days floundering around the castle insulting everyone. He spent so much time venting his dislike for the western lands' natives that he never seemed to have time to do anything else. Needless to say that this particular individual was not exactly the most appreciated visitor in the castle.

The youkai in front of him however was quite different. She had long flowing hair that started black near the root but changed to a caramel-like color at about half of their length. Her eyes were a light shade of blue with a vertical pupil that proclaimed her feline inheritance. A long, black tail with just a speck of caramel at the end along with the traditional pointy ears and sharp fangs completed the ensemble, making the female youkai quite pleasant to the eye. If you added the fact that she possessed much better manners than the current ambassador, then you had almost guaranteed acceptance... at least for the moment.

_"There's a change I could definitively get used to,"_ thought the toad youkai while keeping his features carefully impassive.

"Would you like for me to..." began Jaken before a loud voice abruptly interrupted him.

"Matsuko-sama! What a pleasure to see you!" exclaimed none other than Katsuka himself.

With a huge smile on his face, the current ambassador hurried to greet his compatriot, totally ignoring Jaken's alarmed squawk as he was rudely shoved to the side by the taller youkai. He also conveniently failed to see Matsuko's eyes flash briefly in anger at this. "You don't know how good it is to see a familiar face after all this time. So what brings you here?" he questioned in a friendly tone.

"I believe this will answer pretty much all the questions you might have," replied the female youkai neutrally while handing her counterpart a rolled up manuscript.

Katsuka's face went as white as a sheet almost as soon as he started reading. "This... cannot be right!" he exclaimed finally.

"This document was handed to me by Takeo-sama himself and I can assure you that no mistakes were made. You leave this castle tomorrow at dawn," said the female youkai sternly.

"But..." tried to object the overwhelmed ambassador.

"Refusing is not an option. Takeo-sama has spoken. If you have an objection, you may take it up to him," replied Matsuko frostily.

"But surely, you cannot possibly believe everything said about me in this letter!" exclaimed Katsuka in alarm.

"Whatever doubts I might have had dissipated when you entered the scene," said the female youkai levelly.

She then brushed passed her male counterpart and offered a small bow to the still slightly flustered toad youkai.

"My apologies Jaken-sama. I assure you such misbehavior will not happen again," she apologized while shooting a dark look at Katsuka.

"So you would prefer to support these... dogs instead of me? Have you no pride?" spat the former ambassador.

"Pride?" whispered Matsuko, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You _dare_ talk to me about pride when your _childish_ behavior has all but ruined the eastern lands' reputation?"

Never breaking eye-contact, the female youkai slowly began advancing on the former ambassador, causing him to take an involuntary step back. She stopped when she stood exactly one pace in front of him and fixed him with blue eyes so cold and icy that the very air around her seemed to frost. It was quite something to witness as in both stature and height, Katsuka obviously had the upper hand, however, the sheer intensity of Matsuko's presence was enough to make the male scrunch up on himself and look actually smaller than the female.

"Go and pack your stuff up Katsuka... and if I hear even a whisper of you acting improperly, I swear you will leave this castle with more than your position taken away," she hissed, cracking her knuckles menacingly for emphasis.

Wisely deciding not to pursue the argument any further, the male youkai nodded abashedly in consent before heading back inside the castle with his tail between his legs. Turning around to follow his retreat, the new ambassador was surprised to see a tall figure with flowing silver hair standing in the huge open doorway.

Slowly, regally, he started walking toward her, his piercing golden eyes looking intently at her. Matsuko had heard many things about the great lord of the western lands, Sesshomaru and now that she was able to see him in person, she could easily conclude that he was everything people had made him out to be... and even more.

"Sesshomaru-sama, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person," she greeted formally with a perfect curtsy.

Stopping exactly five steps in front of the new ambassador, the greater youkai stared her up and down for a few more seconds before turning around. "Jaken, assign Rin as our guest's personal maid," he said emotionlessly.

"Rin!? But Sesshomaru-sama, she..." whatever else the toad youkai had been about to say died in his throat as the lord leveled his gaze at him. "... As you wish Sesshomaru-sama."

Satisfied that his orders would not be questioned anymore, the greater youkai resumed his walk and disappeared through the gates of the castle, leaving Jaken to take a deep and steadying breath.

"If I might ask, is there anything wrong with this Rin person?" questioned Matsuko curiously.

"Wrong?" repeated the toad youkai uncomfortably. "No, there is nothing wrong with her typically. But... I hope you will not be too insulted to learn that she is our youngest and most inexperienced maid."

"Oh?" replied the female youkai with a raised eyebrow. "And this maid would not happen to be human now would she?"

"Y... Yes, I'm afraid she is Matsuko-sama, if this arrangement is not to your liking however I can..." but he never got to finish his sentence.

"That's perfect!" exclaimed the feline youkai with visible glee.

"I... it is?" questioned the baffled toad youkai.

"Why yes. I always had a thing for young maids, especially young human maids. There is just something about their eagerness to please that makes my heart melt," explained Matsuko with a smile. "So tell me, when will I get to meet this sweet little thing?"

"I... I will send for her immediately. She will be waiting in your room by the time we arrive," replied Jaken, not sure if he should be more surprised at Matsuko for loving young human maids or at Sesshomaru for actually knowing about the feline youkai's peculiar tastes.

"Well then Jaken-sama, shall we go? I am somewhat eager to get better acquainted with my new attendant," urged the new ambassador, eyes twinkling with anticipation.

"O... Of course, come right this way Matsuko-sama," replied the toad youkai before entering the castle with the ambassador in toe.

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Walking hurriedly through the numerous corridors of the castle, Rin tried her best not to look like she was scrambling. The summon had come at the most inopportune moment possible: When she was hand-soaked in laundry. Dressed in a dirty working yukata, drenched in both water and sweat, her hair a total mess, she was definitively not in any state to greet anyone, let alone the new ambassador of the eastern lands. Still, the summon had been urgent and urgent summons had to be answered, regardless of your current state. So there she was, hurrying to the opposite wing of the castle, wishing desperately for a bath and a clean kimono and hoping beyond hope that the youkai she had just been appointed to serve was an understanding one.

She had almost reached her destination when a door to a room was abruptly thrown off its hinges as a chambermaid quite literally flew out and crashed into the opposite wall with a sickening crack. Stopping dead in her tracks, Rin gaped at the crumpled form of the woman and swung her head when she heard a voice bellowing from inside.

"YOU WORTHLESS INCOMPETENT BITCH! YOU'VE RUINED MY FAVORITE KIMONO!!!"

Still trying to comprehend what was going on, Rin could only watch as Katsuka stalked out of his room and towered over the injured maid menacingly.

"I'm... sorry Katsuka-sama... please forgive... my clumsiness," wheezed the helpless maid while clutching her side in pain.

"No one stains my favorite kimono and lives to tell about it," hissed the youkai menacingly. "Now prepare to face the consequences of your actions!"

"NOOO!!!" suddenly exclaimed Rin, throwing herself between Katsuka and the maid.

Taken aback by this unexpected interference, the youkai actually stopped his advance to stare at the person who had had the audacity of interfering with his hunt. His surprise was quickly washed away by disdain when he realized that his obstacle was a young _human_ girl no older than twelve that presented little interest to him.

"Out of the way worthless human!" he spat and, with a wide swing of his arm, he sent Rin crashing to the floor.

With his obstacle safely removed, Katsuka returned his attention to his original prey, his vicious smile returning full force. However, before he could take another step, he was interrupted yet again when Rin laboriously righted herself and crawled back to her original position.

"Please... Katsuka-sama... show... mercy," she whispered in a wheezing voice. "I will... wash... this stain... myself... if it... will make you... spare her."

Unable to take anymore, the former ambassador gripped the girl by the throat and lifted her in the air until she stood eye-level with him. "It seems like you have a death-wish, you insignificant flea," he growled. "Fortunately for you, I happen to be in a rather killing mood right now, so having one more prey to rip open will only prove more satisfying to me."

With that said, he gradually proceeded to crush Rin's windpipe. The poor child's head, already ringing from the previous blow did not take kindly to the sudden lack of oxygen and it wasn't long before black dots began clouding her already blurry vision. Frantically, she started struggling against the iron grip around her throat, but it was all to no avail. All it did manage to accomplish was to make Katsuka even more pleased with himself.

Hovering at the edge of consciousness, fighting desperately to stay conscious, Rin wasn't exactly sure what happened next. All she knew was that the hand holding her throat jerked and suddenly she could breathe again. And breath she did. She did not just breath in, she sucked in the very air around her until she thought her lungs would explode with the sheer volume of oxygen she was forcing into them.

It didn't seem like it made much of a difference in the beginning but, gradually the pounding in her ears diminished, her vision steadied and her surroundings slowly came back into focus. That was how she became aware of a hand gently rubbing her back to help steady her breathing. Looking up, her gaze immediately met the worried eyes of the maid she had just helped.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

Not quite being capable of speech yet, Rin merely nodded weakly. After a few more deep breath, she found herself strong enough to try and push herself into a sitting position. The world spun briefly when she righted herself, but thanks to the supporting hands of the maid, she was able to remain as she was until things cleared up once again.

"Thank you," she wheezed gratefully.

"I'm relieved to see you are all right. For a minute, I thought I might have been too late," said an unfamiliar voice.

Raising her gaze, Rin's gaze fell upon one of the most beautiful female youkai she had ever seen. Standing tall and proud in her black kimono, she could have been the female version of Sesshomaru for the sheer power and authority she exuded. The child was so utterly awed by what she saw that she forgot herself completely and gaped.

"You are being rude to our guest!" exclaimed Jaken in an outraged voice.

Snapping back to reality, she shot the toad youkai an astonished look before she actually remembered her manners and bowed formally. "Forgive me for my rudeness my lady. And thank you very much for saving my life," she said formally.

"Do not mention it young one," smiled the female youkai gently. "Jaken-sama, I know this might be overstepping my authority, but would you mind escorting these two to my room and having some refreshments brought over? I would very much like to have a little talk with them."

"I believe it can be arranged Matsuko-sama," replied the toad youkai formally.

"Thank you very much," answered the woman before her tone turned very dark and dangerous. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a small piece of business that needs to be taken care of."

Not waiting to see what was going to happen to Katsuka's still dizzy form, the two maids promptly retreated down the corridor with Jaken leading the way. The trip was a relatively short one as they were merely three doors away from their destination, and it was just as well because Rin's companion seemed to have a bit of trouble walking normally.

"As trouble-prone as always are you Rin?" grumbled Jaken when they were safely settled in the room.

Before the girl could answer however, the other maid stepped in. "Please don't be too hard on her Jaken-sama. It was my fault for dropping wine on Katsuka-sama's kimono in the first place," she urged pleadingly.

Snorting noncommittally, the toad youkai turned around and made to walk out the door but at the last second, he seemed to think better of it. "And a mighty fine stain it was," he said with a wry smile before finally making his exit.

The two maids shared a completely dumbfounded stare before exploding into a giggling fit that was cut short when Rin's companion winced in pain.

"Are you okay?" questioned the girl in concern.

"Yes, I'll be fine, thanks to you. My ribs did take a little bit of a beating though," admitted the other maid with a grimace. "Don't worry though, we youkai heal up a lot faster than you humans do. By tomorrow, I'll be as good as new."

For the first time since their meeting, Rin was able to get a good view of her companion. The girl herself looked to be about fourteen of age and had dark brown hair that seemed almost black at first glance. Her bright green eyes sparkled with mischief and the rest of her face was complimented with the traditional pointy ears and fangs that were the custom trademark of pretty much all inu-youkai. However, there was one thing that threw the young girl off and that had incidentally kept her from detecting her companion's true nature right away.

"You... have no tail?" she questioned hesitantly.

For some reason, this caused the other maid to look at Rin like she had just sprouted another head. Of course, that was before she snorted to try and suppress her laughter in order to spare her cracked ribs.

"What's so funny?" asked Rin, her cheeks turning a distinct shade of pink.

"Look carefully," urged the maid with a smile.

Frowning curiously, the child did as she was told and it didn't take her long to realize why her companion had been so amused.

"You've wrapped your tail around your obi!" exclaimed Rin in both surprise and confusion.

"Yeah, it's the only way I could find to keep it from tipping things over without my knowing. Having a tail does have its inconveniences at times," replied the youkai with a chuckle.

"I suppose," replied the young girl in a neutral tone. "By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves, I'm Rin. I've just been appointed as the new eastern lands' ambassador's personal maid. And you are?"

"Yomiko, I'm Katsuka-sama's maid... wait did you say 'new ambassador'? As in... Katsuka-sama's actually being replaced?" questioned the maid in sudden excitement.

"Very much so young one," answered Matsuko, effectively interrupting the two maids' conversation.

The two girls immediately turned their attention toward the door and could not help but gape in surprise. The feline youkai's previous pristine appearance was pretty much gone now. Her dark robes were rumpled slightly, the hair that had cascaded down her back was now tangled and a very contrite, if not downright angry look flared her otherwise beautiful features.

When she saw the maids' rather dumbfounded expression, Matsuko actually stopped and looked down at herself before she allowed an amused chuckle to escape her throat. "Now now, keep your jaw on girls, you might actually find it useful in the near future," she said wryly.

Snapping their mouth shut, the two girls just kept on staring at the apparition before them, their minds unable to fully comprehend everything that was going on. Snorting slightly, the feline youkai pulled out a chair for herself a chair and sat down in front of them, studying their stiff forms thoughtfully. Her quiet contemplation was cut short by a knock on the door and the appearance of a servant holding a tray with a pitcher and three glasses on it.

"Ah the refreshments are here. Very good. Put them on the table over there," instructed Matsuko.

Once the servant was gone, the feline youkai stood up and filled the three glasses, handing one to each of the maids and taking the last for herself. "First of all, I would like you two to take a few deep breaths and calm down. While Katsuka might find it amusing to terrorize his maids into submission, I find this practice less than honorable and much prefer a gentler approach. Servants are much more efficient and eager when the master is kind than when he is cruel. Don't get me wrong, maids have a job to do and I expect them to do it. Competence and diligence are rewarded... incompetence and stupidity are punished, that is the rule by which I abide in just about everything. Now if you have any question you wish to ask me, you may," explained the youkai, her voice calm and soothing.

Feeling a bit reassured by the tone and friendliness emanating from the lady in front of them, the maids allowed their stiff backs to relax and their shallow breathing to even. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, the two girls looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"My lady, may we have the honor of knowing your name?" questioned Rin respectfully.

This simple question seemed to take the greater youkai aback because she actually blinked in surprise before bursting out laughing. "That's right, I was so distracted by Katsuka that I forgot we have yet to be introduced," said the woman lightly before her voice took on a formal tone. "I am the lady Matsuko, first daughter of lord Takeda, supreme commander of the eastern lands' armies and, as of today, lord Takeo's new ambassador in the western lands."

_"New ambassador?"_ realized Rin, jerking violently in both surprise and astonishment, almost spilling the content of her glass in the process.

"Is anything the matter young one?" questioned the feline youkai when she saw the young girl's reaction.

"N... No," stammered Rin in embarrassment. "It's just that... I was just assigned as the new ambassador's personal attendant and... I did not expect it would be you. Though now that you mention it, this room _was_ the one I was originally headed to."

"Oh, so you must be Rin. It's a good thing I intervened then, otherwise I would have been stripped of my maid before she even got a chance to prove her skills," replied Matsuko with equal wonder in her voice. "And who might your friend be?"

"I am named Yomiko. I am... was Katsuka-sama's personal maid," answered the other girl with a respectful bow.

"And also the one who made this rather spectacular stain on his kimono," completed the youkai with a frown that made the girl cower in fear. "The fool must have scared you half to death for you to spill wine on him like this."

"H... He was... in a rather... foul mood," admitted Yomiko meekly.

"Don't be so afraid young one, I do not blame you for what happened. Katsuka got what he rightfully deserved. If he's stupid enough to terrorize his servants into spilling liquid then he's the one to blame for it. That's why I prefer to have relaxed and composed maids, it's much safer on the clothing," reassured Matsuko with a broad grin.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, Yomiko's eyebrows furrowed however as something clicked in her mind. "Matsuko-sama... I understand that Rin has just been assigned as your personal attendant... yet your words seem to encompass the two of us..." she trailed off.

"Indeed they do," replied the feline youkai, her grin turning mischievous.

"Then... am I to assume that I..." stammered the maid, disbelief plain on her face.

"Katsuka was indeed... kind enough to release you in my care and Jaken-sama has approved of the transfer when I asked him about it," replied Matsuko, looking rather proud with herself.

The greater youkai watched with great satisfaction the young girl before her go from astounded to so relieved, she actually began to cry. Rin was immediately at her new friend's side, draping a comforting hand around her quaking shoulders and casting a look that was beyond grateful toward her. True, she did not approve of a lord molesting servants as they were seldom the true cause of the anger however, her good treatment was not born purely out of the goodness of her heart.

Maids and servants littered any castle of significant importance, that was a reality as well-known as it was unavoidable. A lord simply did not have the time nor the mind to worry about dusting his furniture or airing his mattress. A maid was expected to take care of such trivial matters so that the lord could focus on the important matters of the state.

Good maids were expected to be diligent, efficient and, most of all, discreet. Discretion however was never complete. Servants gossiped and talked amongst themselves, spreading rumors and often stumbling upon some very tasty pieces of information. If used properly, a maid could keep you up to date with just about everything happening in the castle. For an ambassador and negotiator, this was something vital as it could mark the difference between a war and a peace declaration. Of course, for this tool to work properly, one essential condition had to be met: The maid had to be loyal to her mistress... and loyalty was not something that could be gained through cruelty.

A gentle word of appreciation here and there, an early dismissal when he or she was tired, a small reward for exceptional services. Show your genuine appreciation to a maid and she would return the gesture with faithfulness and even more eagerness to fulfill her duties. Pull one from the depth of hell and into a warm and comfortable position however and she would snatch the moon right out of the sky if you so much as asked.

Yes, saving Yomiko from the clutches of her idiotic predecessor had been quite the move indeed. Not only had it been quite satisfying to beat the pulp out of Katsuka, but by doing so, she had managed to gain the unwavering loyalty of not one, but two maids.

_"Katsuka, the level of your stupidity is as incredible as it is useful. I could almost thank you for it,"_ she thought smugly while taking a small sip of her drink.

Before her, Yomiko finally seemed to recover from her nervous breakdown because she had stopped crying and was gradually recovering her composure. "Matsuko-sama... I apologize for my... improper behavior just now," she finally murmured in a still slightly unsteady voice.

"Knowing Katsuka, such a reaction is perfectly understandable so think nothing more of it," brushed off the greater youkai. "Now then, I do think it's high time we start working on some ground rules, wouldn't you think?"

And the two maids only nodded in agreement, completely unaware that the the flames of war had just been ignited not three doors away from where they were currently sitting.

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**Author's note:** Well, another branch of the story has just begun. Not much for me to say on this except that I highly enjoyed writing this... and Sangoscourage enjoyed coming up with just about all the names for the characters in this chapter he he he. See you next chapter ;).


	5. Unlikely friendship

**Disclaimer: **Most of the characters in this story are the actual work of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own them in any way.

**Special acknowledgment:** Many thanks to Neko kiki for correcting this chapter as well as to Sangoscourage for actually coming up with the names of the extra characters in this story. Thanks to you two :)

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**Chapter 3: Unlikely friendship**

The sun was not even up when Rin's blissful slumber was rudely interrupted by a poke in the ribs. Groaning in annoyance, she turned to the side and curled up deeper in her blanket, fully intending on continuing her night where she had left it. Of course, such was not to be her fate however because with an annoyed sigh, the intruder poked her again, more firmly this time.

"Wake up Rin, or we're going to be late," whispered a familiar voice.

The child's still groggy mind took a few seconds to identify the newcomer as Yomiko, the maid she had saved the previous day, right before her meeting with Matsuko, the ambassador of the eastern lands.

_"Matsuko!"_

Abruptly, her eyes snapped open and she bolted upright, almost bumping her head against her friend's in the process. Looking frantically at her surroundings, she let out a sigh of relief when she realized the sun was not up yet and that she had not overslept on her first day of official duty.

"Come on sleepy head, time to get to work," murmured the female youkai quietly, so as not to awake the other maids currently occupying the room.

Nodding in understanding, Rin quietly slipped out of her futon and tiptoed behind the nearest screen to change out of her sleeping yukata and arrange her hair into a semblance of order. Long used to such a routine, it didn't take long until she was all set and ready to go. As she was in the process of folding her sleeping kimono however, she allowed herself a short pause, remembering that these sleeping quarters had not always been so luxurious.

When Sesshomaru had assumed his position close to four months back, it was obvious that the constant feuding had taken its toll on the castle. Lack of proper maintenance had rendered many of the wings practically inhabitable. Not wasting any time, the lord had immediately ordered the castle's reconstruction, mentioning that they should take special care with the servant's quarters.

While these orders caused more than a little talk, no one openly questioned them and as such, a prominent architect was hired, coming up with an extremely original design that met with Sesshomaru's approval. Instead of one big wing with countless rooms, the entire quarters had been divided into many small pavilions.

Inside each of them, two perpendicular corridors separated four rooms capable of comfortably housing six people each. The rooms themselves were relatively bare, though they did sport one screen on each side to change and one small mirror to allow maids to put the finishing touch to their ensemble.

The pavilions were all neatly aligned and an array of wooden walkway connected them to the castle, thus allowing the servants to reach their working grounds without dirtying their outfits. Some complained a bit that this would increase their work-load but it was never more than a half-hearted grumble. Everyone was happy about their new sleeping arrangements and it showed with how enthusiastic they now were about their work.

That being said, Rin abruptly snapped herself out of her reverie and finished her task. When she emerged from the screen, she noted with some measure of amazement that Yomiko was in the process of folding and storing away her bedding. Not wasting any time, the girl immediately went to give her friend a hand and in no time, their task was finished in complete silence and they were on their way.

"You're not really a morning person are you Rin?" questioned Yomiko wryly when they were safely out of earshot.

"You call this morning? The sun isn't even up yet!" protested the girl, which caused the youkai to giggle softly.

"Well, in any case, I do think you owe me one. If I hadn't been there, you would have overslept."

"Hmph, and if I hadn't been there, Katsuka-sama would have skinned you alive."

Both girls looked at each other for a few seconds before bursting into a giggling fit. "Still, that was pretty bold of you to step in. Why on earth did you try to defend me when you didn't even know me?" asked the youkai, her face serious once again.

"I can't stand to see people die," answered Rin somberly. "All my family was killed by bandits... I don't want to see death anymore."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." apologized Yomiko.

"No it's okay, I don't mind recalling these memories. Even if they're painful, they're all I have left of my real family."

"You're strong, Rin," complimented the older maid with a friendly smile.

Strangely though, Yomiko's praise did not have the desired effect. Instead of cheering Rin up, it seemed to make her even sadder. "I'm not strong, Yomiko-chan. I'm not strong at all."

"Why are you saying this? You're entire family was killed and yet you still manage to live on and be cheerful. How many do you think can achieve that!?" countered the youkai maid hotly.

"It's still not enough! I..." exclaimed Rin sharply before she stopped short, visibly surprised by her own outburst. "Look, let's just talk about something else okay? I don't want to start my first day under Matsuko-sama's care with tears in my eyes."

"Y... Yeah, sure I guess. I didn't think... I mean I didn't expect..."

"That's okay, I'm not really angry," reassured the girl with a small smile. "We don't know much about each other after all."

"Yeah... but speaking of that, how about you and I get together after our day's over? We could have a friendly talk and get to know each other a little better," proposed Yomiko.

"You... want to spend time with me?" questioned Rin, actually missing a step in surprise.

"Sure, you can actually hold up a real conversation. Most of the other maids around here spends their time gossiping. It's fun once in a while, but most of the time, it's just boring enough to make me fall asleep," admitted the youkai with a slight chuckle.

"But... won't it cause you trouble? I mean, I'm a human and you're a youkai. It might..."

"I think I'm old enough to decide who my friends and who my enemies are. If anyone wants to think less of me because I've befriended a human then they can go to hell as far as I'm concerned."

"But... I'm not anything special... why would you want to be my friend?"

"Geez, where did that come from? Do you really have such a poor opinion of yourself?"

Then, when Rin didn't answer, Yomiko actually realized she had hit right on the spot. _"Well it's true that humans aren't very respected around here so I really shouldn't be surprised. Still... I can't help but feel as if there's a bit more to this than just harsh treatment."_

"You know, I can't force you to do anything you don't want so if you don't feel comfortable spending time with me after work then it's fine by me. But if you ever change your mind, let me know okay?"

"Y... Yes, I will," replied the girl hastily.

"Good, now wipe that gloomy expression off your face, Matsuko-sama's waiting for us... and I for one don't feel like disappointing her on my very first day!"

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Warm, comfortable, cozy. That was how Matsuko felt right now as she snuggled deeper into her covers. She purred contentedly as the soft mattress molded to her body, giving her the impression that she was floating in midair. Her bliss was interrupted however when she heard her door being pushed open. Then, the soft sounds of footsteps reached her ears moments before a harsh light flooded her room and painfully assaulted her retina. Unwilling to yield to reality though, she retreated further into her blanket and was just about to fall back asleep when a hand gently shook her.

"Matsuko-sama?"

Grumbling something unintelligible, she rolled over and away from the offending intruder. It was all to no avail however because the hand came back moments later and shook her more insistently.

"Matsuko-sama!"

Finally relenting to the intruder, the feline youkai pushed the covers away and sat up in bed, stifling a yawn and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Looking at the one who had so rudely awakened her, she ended up facing a nameless inu-youkai maid. Frowning in confusion, she started searching her jumbled memories until she stumbled upon the information she was looking for.

"Yomiko? Didn't I tell you I wanted to be awakened at dawn?" she mumbled, still half-asleep.

This earned her a very confused look from the maid. "But Matsuko-sama, it _is_ dawn."

Blinking, the feline youkai turned her head to the window and she was able to see that the sun was indeed just pointing over the horizon. "I didn't know dawn came so early around here," she muttered while pulling herself out of her bedding.

Once she was up and standing, she took a deep breath and stretched, making her sleepy joints crack and pop satisfyingly. Once that was done, she shook her head slightly and walked to the small vanity where Rin was patiently awaiting with a brush in her hand. As soon as she had settled down, the young girl promptly set to work undoing the knots that had formed during the night.

"The two of you can laugh if you want. I know I can be quite a sight when I wake up," said Matsuko, the fog of sleep having finally left her.

"It was indeed an... unexpected spectacle. It is a... radical change from the image you projected yesterday," commented Yomiko politely.

"Even the greatest of lords doesn't always look tall and regal. Everyone has to wake up and get dressed at one time or the other. I've always been a late sleeper, that's why I need maids like you to help me get up on time."

"Eh? That's rather surprising. I wouldn't have guessed," commented Rin, visibly surprised by the admission.

"We all have our strength and weaknesses. For me, getting up in the morning is one of my biggest defaults so I compensate for it by hiring dutiful maids who will help me with that. I'm a very skilled and ruthless negotiator though. I excel in disarming the most explosive of situation while still managing to get an extra bonus out of the whole thing. No one can be good at everything. That's why we all have different tasks to accomplish."

"You really are different from Katsuka-sama, Matsuko-sama," commented Yomiko before promptly closing her mouth and turning away.

"You may speak freely young one. Whatever you say in this room stays in this room, no matter how inappropriate a comment it might be," reassured the feline youkai.

"Well..." hesitated the girl.

"Go on," urged on Matsuko gently.

"I was about to say that... if you were Katsuka, then I would have been yelled at and hit several times by now. You are much kinder and more considerate than he ever was."

"There, that wasn't so hard now was it?" replied Matsuko with a satisfied nod. "Katsuka loves to show his superiority by lowering those around him. But in truth, I doubt he's even able to fasten the sash of his kimono by himself. He was always a better tactician than a negotiator. His radical views are not well suited for such a task."

"Eh, is that so?" commented Yomiko before suddenly reminding herself of her appointed task. "By the way, Matsuko-sama, which kimono shall I prepare for you?"

"Make it the light gray one. Since I do not have any official business until midday, I'll probably be spending my morning tidying up Katsuka's former office."

Nodding in assent, Yomiko rummaged through the wardrobe for a few seconds before extracting the said piece of clothing. It turned out to be a surprisingly plain one. The only visible decoration was an elaborate embroidery on the right shoulder showing three lilies disposed in a perfect circle around a yellow sun. The right and left flowers were both identical in shape and size, though the first was red and the other orange. The top one however was much more intricate and slightly bigger than the others. It was also colored a deep purple and its petals were wide open as opposed to its neighbors which were closed. Seeing her maid's obvious interest in the design, Matsuko smiled before explaining.

"The lilies and the sun. It has been the symbol of the eastern lands for as long as anyone can remember. The sun represents the imperial family and the three lilies mark the three provinces of the eastern lands. My family rules over the northern region which is why the top lily is open."

"Then... Katsuka-sama must be from the eastern province, I remember seeing this same design on many of his kimonos, but with the right flower open," replied Yomiko, visibly interested by this little political lesson.

"Very observant, Yomiko. Indeed, Katsuka is from the eastern province. The people of that province are generally of a more extreme point of view and are better skilled in the military than in the art of negotiation. We of the northern province however are a lot less radical. Our point of view is generally much more objective and neutral, which helps us solve difficult situation to everyone's best interest. We make good politicians, the current emperor is himself a native of the northern province."

"So even the lands are divided in smaller regions. I hadn't realized things were so complicated," added Rin, awe evident in her voice. "And what about the western province? What are they good at?"

"They are our commercial specialists. When it comes to making money, no one's better suited than them. Most of our trade agreement have been made possible through their efforts. Since you're my maids, I'm sure you'll eventually see one of their representative drop by and say hello. Their visits are quite frequent."

"Our lands do business with each other? I thought we were at war," questioned Rin again, growing more and more confused by the entire explanation.

"Well, war might be a bit too strong a word for this. After all, if it were the case then I wouldn't be here now would I? No, matters are much more complicated and intricate then they look like. Now that the rightful ruler of the western lands has appeared and claimed his title, it's become all but impossible for anyone to conquer it. The tidal wave it would create would ultimately swallow just about everyone and everything."

"Being a ruler sure is complicated," commented Yomiko while scratching her head in obvious confusion. "I much prefer being a maid, life's a lot simpler that way."

Laughing, Matsuko stood up and headed back to her bed where her youkai maid had spread her kimono for her to step in. "As I often say, nothing's ever simple in politics. But let's not get into that this morning. I intend to see Katsuka off before taking over his duties."

Then, seeing her two maids stiffen in apprehension, she giggled some more. "Don't worry, you're _my_ maids now. If he wants to do anything to you he'll have to go through me first."

--------------------------------------

Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Rin and Yomiko watched the doors of the castle close behind Katsuka and his escort. While the procedure had not demanded anything but for them to stay silent on the side, the tension crackling between the two greater youkai had been so great that it had seeped into them too.

"Good, now that this is done, it's time to see just how big a mountain Katsuka left on his desk," announced Matsuko. "Yomiko-chan, how about you show us the way."

Nodding in assent, the maid promptly started down a series of corridors, taking seemingly random turns until she eventually stopped at a specific door. "This is it, Matsuko-sama."

Sliding the door open, the greater youkai froze in mid-motion, her eyebrow twitching ever so slightly. "Yomiko-chan, would you be so kind as to tell me when was the last time you saw Katsuka set foot in this office?"

"Well, the last I can remember was seven days ago. Why Matsuko-sama, is there a pro..."

The rest of the maid's sentence died in her throat as the feline youkai stepped aside and revealed the state of the said office. The word 'mess' didn't even begin to describe the spectacle. Documents were thrown haphazardly over the whole of the office, mixing with the trash lying around. Beside her, Yomiko heard Rin suck in a surprised breath.

"It would appear that our work has been cut out for us. Yomiko, go and see about bringing us some breakfast, I have a feeling we shall need all the strength we can muster for this task. Rin, try to get your hands on some cleaning supply. This room obviously hasn't been dusted off in quite some time."

Both maids promptly scurried off, leaving Matsuko alone to contemplate the mess that was now her office. _"Katsuka... what in the world were you _doing_ in there anyway?"_

---------------------------------

Stretching her tired body, Rin let out a long and weary sigh. The day had been quite busy for Yomiko and her. Aside from helping Matsuko cleaning her office, they had to help her prepare for her first official meal with Sesshomaru at midday. That had meant going back to their mistress' room, dressing her up in an elaborate kimono and then waiting in the anteroom for the unlikely possibility that their services would be required. The one good thing of this day was that she got to see Sesshomaru in person for the first time in months. That alone was a boon to her heart, even if the lord himself hadn't so much as glanced her way.

"What are you thinking about?" questioned Yomiko, dragging her out of her reverie.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just glad everything went well today."

"Yeah, so am I. Matsuko-sama really is a nice person to be working under. It's nice not to fear for your life every time you breath wrong," chuckled the youkai in good humor.

"I suppose so. Still, I don't recall ever seeing an office so dirty. We're not even halfway through cleaning it!" commented the child pensively.

"Yeah, makes you wonder what Katsuka-sama was doing in there all the time."

After that, the two fell silent as they headed back to the servants' quarters. They were about halfway to their destination when Rin suddenly remembered her companion's proposal. Abruptly, her good mood dissolved, replaced with a deep sense of foreboding.

"Is anything the matter?" questioned Yomiko when she sensed her friend's abrupt change of mood.

"No, it's nothing," dismissed the girl with a reassuring smile, though she couldn't help but quiver inside.

Rin knew her lie must have been pretty easy to see through but thankfully, Yomiko did not pursue the issue any further. So it was without saying another word that the pair made it to the wooden walkways that connected the castle to the servants' pavilions.

"Well, I guess this is where we part ways for today. See you tomorrow, Rin," said the youkai maid with a smile.

"See you tomorrow, Yomiko," answered the girl and, with a wave of her hand, headed back to her own room.

No sooner had she rounded a corner that she immediately broke into a run. Her room wasn't really that far away so it didn't take her very long to reach it. Sliding the door open, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her things had not been disturbed in her absence. Feeling her tension drain away, she promptly set to the task of unfolding her futon and preparing it for the night.

The sound of the door opening interrupted her and she turned around to see one of her roommates get in, wearing a stupefied mask on her face.

"You sure are back early for a change," said the woman.

"Matsuko-sama gave me an early dismissal."

"Oh, so you're working for the new ambassador. How lucky of you."

Gritting her teeth, Rin did her best to ignore the taunt even as her foreboding feeling came back in full swing. Moments later, the door opened again, admitting yet another of her roommates who wore the same surprised expression as the first.

"Back early are you, brat? Skipping out on work again?"

"Her mistress gave her an early dismissal."

"Oh? Life sure is good for you."

Again Rin did not answer. Doing so would have been pointless anyway. She knew she was not really welcome in this room and the others tolerated her at best and taunted her senseless at worst. Now if only her heart could stop beating like crazy in her chest then everything would be more or less normal. What was it that was so dreadfully wrong about all this? It was hovering right there, at the edge of her awareness, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

_"Back early."_

The realization hit her like a lightning bolt. These two... they were part of the cooking team. They were always among the last to come back! Now they were here and the sun was still up! What's more, they weren't doing anything, they weren't even preparing their futon. Suddenly, their surprised faces when they entered took on a entire new meaning.

_"They weren't expecting me to be here yet!"_ she thought, apprehension twisting her stomach. _"They should still be on duty! Don't tell me..."_

Before she could complete her reasoning however, her hair was suddenly yanked forcefully upward, causing her to yelp in surprise. "You know, Rin, we've had just about enough of your smug attitude."

"What are you talking about? I haven't done anything!" countered the child while batting at the offending hand without much success.

"That's right! You haven't done a thing and yet, you're being granted all sort of privileges!"

"What privileges!? I've been doing laundry ever since I got here!"

Rin saw stars as the second maid leveled a slap at her. "Don't lie to us! You came here out of nowhere and managed to get this position in only a few months! The two of us have been here for years now, and we're still stuck cleaning the kitchens! We've tolerated you so far because you were doing the same job as we were, but now we've had just about enough! It's time we showed you who your elders are."

With that said, the maid not holding her in place reared back and prepared to punch Rin square in the face. The blow however never came. Instead, the woman was roughly shoved backward and straight into the opposite wall. About a second later, the maid holding her was abruptly given the same treatment and the child, thus freed from her restraints, fell unceremoniously to the ground.

"And you call yourself elders? Don't make me laugh!" exclaimed a familiar voice icily.

Whipping her head around, Rin was able to confirm that her savior was none other than Yomiko. The youkai smiled reassuringly at her before returning her attention to her two assailants.

"Step away! This is human business!"

"Don't be ridiculous! You're jealous of Rin because she's luckier than you are! It's not as if she asked for the promotion!" countered Yomiko angrily.

"The word has it that Sesshomaru-sama himself ordered the assignment! How can the lord know about her and not know about us who have been working here for years now?"

"Pfeh! So he got word of Matsuko-sama's preference in maids and asked the head management about it. Really now, what sort of pea-brained dimwits are you anyway?"

"That's the thing! He _didn't_ ask! Neither he nor Jaken-sama has set foot in the office for weeks now! So you see, she has to have some sort of ace up her sleeve! We're going to make her spill her lot today! We've had just about enough of her smug and arrogant behavior!"

"And I have just about _enough _of you two! If you want to lay a hand on her then you'll have to go through me first!" exclaimed Yomiko, baring her fangs at the two maids before her.

Not surprisingly, when faced with the growling image of an angry inu-youkai, the two humans stiffened in fear before standing up and exiting the room with as much dignity as they could muster. Once they were both alone again, Yomiko whirled around and promptly started folding Rin's futon.

"Yomiko? What are you doing?" questioned the young girl in confusion.

"That's rather obvious, no? Since you're unwanted here, this calls for a little relocation," answered the older maid firmly.

"R... Relocation? But I don't have anywhere else to go!"

"Yes you do! It might be a tight fit, but you'll be sleeping in my room tonight."

At this, Rin let out a strangled cry of surprise. "Y... Your room? But..."

"No 'buts'! Come on, gather your stuff and let's get out of here!"

"B... but that... I mean your roommates will..."

"My roommates all want to see you Rin," answered Yomiko, her tone becoming softer.

"T... They do?"

"When I came back yesterday, your scent was still all over my clothing so everyone kept asking me questions. I eventually told them what you did and it astonished them all that a human would risk her life for a youkai. Believe me, you've got quite the reputation."

"A... Are you sure it won't be trouble?" questioned Rin worriedly.

"Positive, now come on, we're leaving this place!"

Not exactly convinced, but not having much of a choice in the matter, the girl promptly set to the task of packing her spare working and sleeping kimonos in a bag. Minutes later, everything was stored away and the two were trudging along the wooden walkways, Yomiko in front.

"That's what you were so afraid of this morning, wasn't it?" questioned the youkai after a long silence.

"Y... Yes," replied Rin, her cheeks turning pink.

"Humans are so stupid at times. We're all the maids of _the_ most prestigious castle of all the western lands. Some would die for having an opportunity to even work here and still they find reasons to complain!"

"It's... not that, Yomiko," countered the girl sadly. "They have no complaints about their tasks nor their situation. They simply hate me because... they know I'm hiding something. And they think knowing about it will grant them extra privileges."

"Well, are they right?" questioned Yomiko curiously.

When Rin didn't answer, the youkai turned and was startled to see tears streaming on her friend's face. "Rin..." she whispered, not sure what to do or say.

"Yomiko... you said you'd be my friend right?" whispered the girl.

"Y... Yeah, I did."

"Then... can you keep a secret? A very... _very _important secret?"

Yomiko actually marked a pause at this. Not because of the intense and pleading look Rin directed at her, but because she couldn't help but wonder what the young girl could possibly be hiding that was so big that she would have to demand absolute secrecy from her.

"On my life Rin, I swear that whatever you'll say to me will stay between the two of us only."

And the girl heaved a huge sigh of relief, for the first time in months, feeling as if she weren't completely alone in the world.

------------------------------------

**Author's note:** Well, sorry for the long delay, I happened to have a little bit of a problem with my writing. I knew what I wanted to say yet the words just wouldn't come out right. Anyway, as you can see, Rin just made a new friend as for the secret she's been hiding... well, I do think everyone knows it already he he he. So with that said, see you all next chapter ;).


	6. Rin's secret

**Disclaimer: **Most of the characters in this story are the actual work of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own them in any way.

**Special acknowledgment:** Many thanks to Neko kiki for correcting this chapter as well as to Sangoscourage for actually coming up with the names of the extra characters in this story. Thanks to you two :)

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**Chapter 4: Rin's secret**

Sitting in the middle of the unfamiliar room, Rin watched as Yomiko deposited her load and proceeded to do a perimeter check to make sure they were alone. She wasn't sure why, but somehow, the prospect of revealing her secret made her increasingly nervous. She knew in her heart that the youkai maid was trustworthy, she knew she meant it when she said she wanted them to be friends... but she couldn't help but feel everything would change once Yomiko learned of her secret.

"Well, my roommates won't be here for hours and all the other rooms are empty. It's just the two of us Rin."

Nodding uncertainly, the young girl felt sweat begin to run down her face as she desperately tried to get her ideas in order. She risked a timid glance at her friend and immediately averted her eyes. The seriousness mixed with concern and curiosity was just too much for her to withstand.

"You know, I can't or won't force you to tell me anything, but I get the feeling you'd feel a lot better if you emptied your heart. Whatever it is you're carrying seems awfully heavy."

"I..." started the girl in the ghost of a whisper that grew stronger with each word. "I... know... Sesshomaru-sama."

While the statement in itself presented nothing really out of the ordinary – every person in the castle knew Sesshomaru after all, Rin's entire body language told Yomiko that there was a lot more to this than met the eye. Patiently, she waited for her friend to work up the courage to begin her explanation, all the while trying to work out the answers on her own.

"Four years ago, my entire family was killed by bandits right before my eyes. I don't remember much of what happened that day... maybe it's just as well. Bloodied, tired, exhausted and hungry, I was able to make my way to a neighboring village. The people there took pity on me and took me in... if one could call it that. They assigned me a small, run-down hut and allowed me to eat some of their left-over food. Thinking back on it now, it wasn't really nice of them, but back then, I didn't care very much about what happened to me. I figured that if I could just die then I'd be reunited with my parents. For an entire year I stayed there, living some semblance of a life. But then, something happened that changed all of that."

Pausing slightly to take a breath and regain her composure, the girl continued her tale. "I was walking in the woods, hunting for some wild berries, when suddenly there was a bright flash of light. Curious, I went to investigate and there he was. He was wounded all over, all of his clothing were thorned and stained with blood... yet I couldn't help but feel awed by his magnificence. For a long time, I stood there, staring at him, unable to move or even breath... but eventually he noticed me and would probably have bitten my head off if he had been able to move."

"By 'him'... you mean..."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. He was in such a bad state that I couldn't help but try to help him. I treated his injuries as best as I could and brought him some food... which he stubbornly refused to eat," continued the child, smiling a little in remembrance.

"So you treated him back to health. In return he brought you back here and you became a maid... right?"

"No... that's only the beginning. Only a few days after I started treating him, youkai attacked the village. I tried to flee, but I tripped on a root and the wolves attacking me killed me instantly."

"They... _killed _you?" repeated Yomiko, her face a mask of confusion.

"Yes... but Sesshomaru-sama came back for me and used his sword to call back my soul."

"His sword... you mean the Tenseiga?"

"Yes, he used it and I was brought back to life. After that, I started to follow him around for the better part of three years as he hunted an evil person called Naraku..."

"Naraku!!!!! You mean _the_ Naraku!? The one who wreaked havoc until a few months ago!?" interrupted Yomiko, disbelief plain on her face.

"Yeah, that's the one. At first, Sesshomaru-sama was relentless in his chase, but then during one especially cold winter day, I felt sick... and that's when things started to change."

--Flashback--

_"This is bad Sesshomaru-sama, her fever is still rising. At this rate, I cannot guarantee she will survive," announced Jaken, his voice alarmed and urgent._

_"I'm sorry... Sesshomaru-sama, because of me..." apologized Rin, the rest of her sentence dying in a bad cough._

_The greater youkai did not answer, he merely kept staring outside as the wind howled and the snow kept falling relentlessly. At first glance, his calm features appeared perfectly serene, but if one were to look closer however, he would notice a definite tension around the eyes and the mouth. Shifting his gaze back to the sick girl behind him, he frowned ever so slightly before coming to a decision._

_"Jaken," he called._

_"Yes, my lord."_

_"Wait here."_

_With that said, he walked out of the cave and was immediately swallowed by the raging elements._

_"J... Jaken-sama... I... I'm cold," said Rin weakly, her teeth chattering._

_The toad youkai immediately whirled around, added a few more pieces of wood to the crackling fire and tucked the cover more tightly around the girl. "W... Where... is... S... Sesshomaru-sama?"_

_"He'll be back soon. Don't worry, he isn't so weak that he would be hindered by a snowstorm," answered the toad youkai. "You just get some rest."_

_"Okay," answered the girl simply before closing her eyes._

"Still, I wonder where he could possibly be going in such a weather,"_ thought Jaken in obvious confusion._

_And so, the toad youkai settled down to wait as Rin fell into a restless sleep. Every once in a while, he would cast a worried glance at the sick human girl, but aside from tucking her in and making sure the fire kept blazing, there was little he could do. He knew absolutely nothing when it came to human medicine. Minutes ticked by and soon turned to hours. The wind outside calmed down and the snow stopped falling but still, Sesshomaru did not reappear. It was not until the rays of the sun began to fade over the horizon that the greater youkai once again set foot in the cave._

_"Sesshomaru-sama! You're back!" exclaimed Jaken, but then he noticed the form cowering behind his master and his relief turned to confusion. "Eh? Who's this?"_

_Instead of answering, Sesshomaru turned to the quivering human and pointed to Rin. "Heal her," he ordered simply and the man nervously set to the task._

_He started by doing a little probing to ascertain the child's symptoms and then grimaced. "How long has she been sick?"_

_And then, when no one answered he turned to the two youkai wearing an irritated frown. "Look, unless I can figure out her ailment, I can't devise a treatment. So either you answer me, or you kill me right now."_

_Sesshomaru's eyes flashed briefly before he turned around and faced outside. "Jaken," he ordered and the toad youkai nodded._

_"Two days ago, she suddenly lost her appetite and started feeling dizzy. She also started having some headaches and yesterday, her skin turned red in some places, though this morning, the redness was completely gone, replaced with a very high fever."_

_The healer's features gradually turned from irritated to grim as he listened to the symptoms' description. "This isn't good. There's no real treatment for that particular illness. All I can do is give her some medicine to soothe her symptoms. As far as healing goes however... it will be entirely up to her."_

_"When will we know?"_

_All the heads turned up to Sesshomaru, surprised to have him speak up so suddenly. "This disease is an explosive one. It strikes hard, but for a relatively short time. Tonight will be the turning point. Her fever will keep steadily rising until it reaches dangerous heights. If she can make it through that then she'll be fine, otherwise..."_

_"Do what you can," replied the greater youkai before exiting the cave, though this time he merely took a few steps before the voice of Jaken stopped him._

_"Sesshomaru-sama, may I ask a question?"_

_The greater youkai glanced at his subordinate dispassionately for a second before averting his gaze and nodding imperceptibly._

_"If Rin is not strong enough to overcome her illness..."_

_"Tenseiga cannot recall a soul more than once," interrupted Sesshomaru while looking at the sky with an unreadable expression._

_Jaken visibly stiffened as he took in this information. "Then if she dies tonight..."_

_Sesshomaru did not answer, he merely directed a glare at the toad youkai that made him stumble backward and scramble back into the cave._

_This marked the beginning of a desperate struggle with Rin's life as the prize. As the healer had predicted, the girl's condition kept worsening more and more as the hours ticked by. The girl kept jumping from extremely hot to extremely cold in the blink of an eye. She would sweat profusely for a few minutes and then start shivering the next. Powerless to do much of anything, the healer forced a few herbal remedies down Rin's throat as well as plenty of water and watched as the child struggled for her life._

_Finally, as the eastern sky turned gray, the girl gradually started to settle down. Her breathing evened and her fever dropped._

_"The sickness is subsiding. She'll be fine now," announced the healer, breathing a huge sigh of relief._

_At this news, the tension that had been gradually rising within the cave dissipated almost instantly. Jaken which had been helping the healer simply fell over, unable to remain standing anymore. The only one who managed to keep his composure was Sesshomaru, though he did close his eyes and his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly at the announcement._

_Standing up, the healer walked to the mouth of the cave where the greater youkai was currently standing and looked at the rising sun in silence for a few seconds._

_"There is nothing more I can do for her. All she needs now is some rest. I don't know what you're planning to do to me, but if you're planning on killing me then I would ask that you at least spare her such a gruesome spectacle."_

_"Ah-Un," called Sesshomaru._

_Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, an enormous two-headed dragon walked over to them, stopping a mere foot away._

_"Climb on his back, he shall take you to the nearest village."_

_Not awaiting for an answer, the youkai walked back into the cave, sat down and, for the first time since Rin fell sick, he actually managed to sleep. He wasn't sure how long his slumber lasted, but when he reopened his eyes, the sun sat low in the sky. He wondered a bit on what could have awakened him until he realized Rin was awake and looking at him._

_"Are you well?"_

_"I feel better... but I'm tired," answered the girl quietly._

_After that, both fell silent as Jaken snored happily away in his corner. "Sesshomaru-sama... I'm sorry. Because of me..."_

_"Be quiet Rin. I need to think."_

_After that, the greater youkai did not say a single word nor acknowledge anyone's presence for the rest of the day. All he did was stare outside with a vacant expression and sometimes a frown. Since neither Rin nor Jaken wanted to disturb him, they kept their conversation to a minimum. Still needing to recover her strength after her ordeal, the child went to sleep early, leaving the toad youkai with only Sesshomaru for company, though considering the circumstances, he might as well have been alone._

_"Jaken," suddenly said Sesshomaru, making the said youkai jump in surprise._

_"Y... Yes my lord?"_

_"We leave tomorrow."_

_"T... Tomorrow? But shouldn't we wait for Rin to..." however the toad found the rest of his sentence cut short by a glare from his lord. "Y... Yes my lord. And where will we be going?"_

_"Makurazaki."_

--End flashback--

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd be tempted to say you're lying. I mean it's _Sesshomaru_ we're talking about here," commented Yomiko pensively.

"It's true. I swear to God it's true Yomiko, you have to believe me! That's why... I have to keep this a secret. If this ever spread... then there's no telling what might happen to me or Sesshomaru-sama," she shot back, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes.

"Hey!" said the youkai, gripping her friend's shoulders firmly. "I _do _believe you, Rin. I was just saying that this was a bit incredible, that's all."

Sighing slightly, the child nodded in understanding. "Thanks Yomiko... but it doesn't end here. There's still a bit more that needs to be said about this."

"There's more!? What more could there possibly be about this story!?"

"... My enrollment here."

--Flashback--

_Stretching her weary body, Rin stifled a yawn as she stared at the fire. How long had it been now since Sesshomaru had last come to see her? Days? Weeks? In the past, he never went away for such long periods. Could it be that he didn't want to be with her? She vigorously chased that silly thought out of her head as soon as he entered it. He would come back eventually when the time was right._

_Still, these past few months had been somewhat hectic. They had been traveling a lot more than usual. First, they had headed west until they arrived at a very steep mountain range. She had been left behind for some time there, too. But eventually, Sesshomaru had returned, announcing that they were now going to head north. And north they had gone. For weeks they had been traveling at a grueling pace that forced her to spend her days on Ah-Un in order to be able to keep up. Finally, they had arrived, though Rin had absolutely no idea where they were. She only knew that Sesshomaru had once again vanished, leaving her alone with the huge two-headed dragon._

_She wasn't exactly worried about being abandoned by her lord, years spent with him had taught her at least that much. However, she wasn't exactly the childish girl she had been two years ago either. When time had permitted it, Jaken had taught her the basics of reading and writing and also how to survive on her own for long periods of time. So it was only natural that she would be starting to notice things she didn't at first._

_For example, she had managed to catch the name 'Makurazaki' one evening along with the terms 'Western lands'. When she had inquired about them later on, all she had managed to get was the fact that it was the capital of the western lands. It had taken her a bit of time to make the deduction, but when she had actually remembered that they had started their journey by heading west, something had clicked and she had blurted out her conclusion without even realizing it._

_She smiled when she remembered the face Jaken had made when she had explained her reasoning. Sesshomaru himself had actually raised an impressed eyebrow at her deduction. So, knowing they had stopped at the capital of the western lands first, it didn't take a genius to conclude that something big was going on. But she couldn't for the life of her figure out what._

_So here she was, alone, confused and growing exceedingly impatient with her interminable wait. Even if taking care of Ah-Un did take a good chunk of her time, it still left her with considerable free time. At first, she had used it to do some exploration on the dragon's back, but that had quickly turned boring. The landscape was completely ordinary and there was nothing here that she hadn't seen somewhere else before._

_"Sesshomaru-sama... where are you?" she whispered to the empty air._

_As if her voice had somewhat triggered the long-awaited arrival, the form of Jaken suddenly emerged from the surrounding trees._

_"Jaken-sama!" exclaimed the young girl excitedly before she noticed the absence of her lord. "Where is Sesshomaru-sama?"_

_"He can't come. It was all I could do to sneak away and come here."_

_"I don't understand. What's going on?"_

_"Sesshomaru-sama is trying to reclaim his throne. But considering the current situation, he cannot do so without some form of outside support."_

_"Throne?" repeated the young girl, her eyes widening as the implications of that one simple word made her head spin. "You mean Sesshomaru-sama is actually a king?"_

_"He is indeed the rightful heir to the throne of the western lands. But things have grown quite complicated and he needs a powerful ally if he is to assume his position."_

_Rin, however, hardly heard the toad youkai's reply. She was too busy trying to get over the shock of this news. All this time, she had been following a king and had not even known about it. Things were rearranging themselves faster than she could comprehend. The image of her lord shifted and wavered until it was replaced with something similar yet much grander and awe-inspiring, something so grandiose that it made one afraid to even stare at it in fear that this simple act might desecrate it in some way._

_"J... Jaken-sama, what... what's going to happen now?" she asked, desperately trying to find some sort of solid ground to stand on._

_"A lot of things that you have no control over. However, for the moment, you have to leave this place at once."_

_"WHAT!? But why!? I don't want to leave Sesshomaru-sama's side!"_

_"You have to be gone by morning Rin."_

_"But... where do you want me to go? I don't have anywhere else to go!" exclaimed the young girl, disbelief plain on her face._

_"That's for you to decide. You may keep Ah-Un for the time being, he will provide you with suitable protection and transportation until you find where it is you must go. Until then, take care of yourself, Rin."_

_"Wait! Jaken-sama!!!"_

_But it was no use, the toad youkai had already turned tail and disappeared through the night. For a while, the girl stared at the place where the youkai had disappeared to, not believing that she had been abandoned by the one person she had trusted the most in this world. But reality eventually caught up with her and her entire world crumbled away, leaving her completely alone in a desolated wasteland._

_Unable to bear it, she broke down, completely and utterly. She cried until her throat felt raw. She sobbed until no tears came out and then sobbed some more. She pounded the ground until her knuckles bled. She weeped until her stomach heaved with the effort. It wasn't until she was too exhausted to even move or utter a sound that she calmed down and even then, her pain simply wouldn't go away._

_She wasn't sure how long she stayed lying on the ground, feeling completely numb inside. Time held very little meaning for her anymore. However, she gradually became aware that she was not completely alone, that there was another presence beside her. Shifting her gaze slightly, her eyes fell on the form of Ah-Un. The two-headed dragon was looking at her with what could only be uncertainty dancing in his eyes._

_Sitting up, Rin wiped her face with her sleeve before extending her hand in invitation. The huge beast immediately answered by lowering one of his heads and allow the young girl to pet him._

_"What do I do, Ah-Un?" she questioned in a raspy voice. "I'm all alone now."_

_The creature let out a low rumble in reply and straightened his head, turning on himself until his saddle was directly in front of the girl._

_"You... want me to climb on?"_

_The dragon stomped on the ground and whipped his tail in answer. Sighing in discouragement, Rin grabbed hold of the saddle and sat down as comfortably as she could. "One way or the other, I don't care. Go wherever you want, Ah-Un."_

_And the creature took off._

_Two weeks now since she had been abandoned. Two weeks of nights tormented by nightmares and days haunted by questions that could not be answered. For a few days she had kept hoping that maybe Sesshomaru would show up and put an end to her suffering, but of course, her pleas had not been answered._

_In order to prevent herself from falling deeper into depression, the child tried to keep her mind from wandering as much as possible. She quickly discovered that the best way to do that was to keep herself occupied. So she traveled mostly on foot, using the skills she had been taught to find food and shelter as well as to avoid danger. In the evening, if she was lucky enough to find a stream, she would clean Ah-Un as well as her clothes and herself before going to sleep._

_Tonight however, sleep simply wouldn't come. For some reason, her mind felt more active tonight than on any of the other nights she had spent alone. She tried her utmost to try and bring up happy memories up, like the time when she had found Sesshomaru wounded in the forest and he had asked about her wounds. Or the time when she had been able to read and write her first word by herself. Yes, those had been happy times, times when she could simply be the child that she was. Now she had to decide everything for herself. She couldn't very well spend her entire life wandering aimlessly around like that. They would eventually expect to have Ah-Un returned to them, he was merely a loan after all._

"You may keep Ah-Un for the time being, he will provide you with suitable protection and transportation until you find where it is you must go."

_Jaken's sentence echoed in her mind for what seemed like the thousandth time, making her sigh in both sadness and weariness. She couldn't be sure how long they would allow her to keep the beast, but she knew that if she didn't find where she had to go before her deadline expired, then she might as well be dead._

"Where I have to go?"

_The girl frowned in confusion. Where had that thought come from? Why would she have to go somewhere in particular when Jaken himself had told her..._

"... until you find where it is you must go."

_She couldn't help but reel back in shock. The youkai hadn't said 'until you find yourself a place to live'. Instead he had gone and said 'until you find where it is you must go'. Such an unnatural ending to his sentence _had_ to mean something! For the first time in two weeks, she felt excitement bubble up inside of her, forcing her to stand up and pace in front of the fire._

_"Okay," she murmured, taking a deep breath to calm herself and clear her thoughts. "So if Jaken-sama said that, it can only mean I'm expected to go somewhere. So all I have to do now is find out where Sesshomaru-sama is expecting me to go... and go there."_

_Not an easy question to answer however. Her lord was one of the most unpredictable person she had ever met. Out of the blue, he had decided to start chasing Naraku and then, after years of pursuit, had abandoned the chase in favor of trying to reclaim his throne._

_"His throne! That's it!" she exclaimed so loudly that the two-headed dragon slumbering blissfully away jerked awake with a start. "Ah-Un! I got it! I finally know where we have to go!"_

_And then, when the dragon looked at her with puzzled eyes. "We're going to Makurazaki!"_

_"Hum, I know I said that this is where we should be going but..." trailed off Rin as she stared at the mountain range._

_Another week of traveling had brought her right back to this place. It had taken her a bit of time to find her way as her navigational skills were a bit primitive, but with Ah-Un's help, she had eventually managed to find her way back to the place where Makurazaki lay. However, she was now faced with another problem: How to actually enter. The mountains were steep and went on for miles in both directions without any sign of a path anywhere._

_"Maybe if we were to fly over them?" she questioned and watched Ah-Un yawn in weariness._

_Giggling slightly at the dragon's antics, the girl couldn't help but agree with him nonetheless. "You're right, Ah-Un. We've done enough for today. Let's get some rest and we'll try finding a way over those mountains tomorrow."_

_Since she had already been in this area before, locating a suitable place to camp took little effort and finding food even less. So it was that a mere hour later, she sat in front of a crackling fire, watching a sizable fish roast happily away. She couldn't help but feel a bubble of anticipation float in her stomach. Somewhere along the way, she had come to realize that Sesshomaru probably never had abandoned her. He had probably set this up as a test of some sort to see if she could take care of herself and see if she could find her way back to him. Once she was able to see him again, then everything would return to the way it was before. At least, that's how she saw it._

_Her meal was spent quietly and Ah-Un returned from his own trip to the river, one of his mouth still chewing on the fish he had managed to catch. The two-headed dragon took his place beside the fire and let out an extremely long yawn before closing his eyes and falling asleep._

_Rin smiled fondly at the huge beast. Lying like that, it looked almost defenseless yet, she knew that if any form of danger approached, the dragon would spring awake in an instant... and an angry Ah-Un was most definitively not something you wanted to find yourself pinned against._

_Finding weariness creeping up to her at last, the girl stretched and went to spread her blanket when suddenly, the dragon opened his eyes and his heads immediately swiveled toward the trees behind her. He roared lightly as he started whipping his tail left and right, his ears standing up straight on his head._

_"Ah-Un? What's the matter?" questioned Rin when she noticed the peculiar reaction._

_Indeed, if the beast had sensed danger, he would have started roaring menacingly and he would have bared his fangs. The way he behaved now, he looked more excited than menacing, as if the presence he had detected was a familiar one._

_"So you have come, Rin."_

_The familiar voice hit her like a lightning bolt. Her entire body immediately went rigid as her eyes widened in both surprise and disbelief. Slowly, she turned around, almost afraid to see if her ears had been playing tricks on her. Yet, when she completed her rotation, there he was, standing tall and proud only a few steps away from her._

_"S... Sesshomaru-sama..." she whispered, her voice failing her._

_For the longest of time, the two stared at each other, the girl unable to move or say anything and the youkai seemingly awaiting something. Finally, after an eternity of complete immobility, Sesshomaru turned around and started back into the darkness of the forest, a glimmer of disappointment dancing in his eyes._

_Seeing her lord abruptly head away from her without so much as a word, Rin felt a surge of despair push her into action. "Wait! Sesshomaru-sama! Please don't leave!" she exclaimed._

_To her immense relief, the greater youkai actually obeyed her plea and glanced back at her with a raised eyebrow. "For two weeks, I wandered around, thinking you had abandoned me. Then, I realize I had been wrong and that you were expecting me to come back here all along. Yet, when I finally do arrive, it's to see you walk away from me without saying a word. Sesshomaru-sama, what is it you are expecting from me? All I've ever wanted was to remain by your side forever... are you trying to tell me that I'm not worthy? Have I failed your test in some way? Did it take me too long to complete it?"_

_All lost in her own babbling, it took her a second to realize the youkai had actually made his way back to her and was now looking down at her with an unreadable expression on his face._

_"Is this your answer then?" he asked quietly._

_"Answer?" repeated the child in confusion. "What answer?"_

_Her rather innocent reply caused the Sesshomaru's usually impassible mask to crack completely, revealing a completely baffled expression. Of course, it lasted a mere second before his composure returned. "You really wish to forsake the human world and become part of a youkai society?"_

_Not having envisioned things in such a drastic view, Rin felt the shadow of a doubt pass over her heart. But her hesitation was quickly banished by the realization that she could not forsake a world she had never belonged to in the first place._

_"My place is with you, Sesshomaru-sama, and nowhere else," she answered firmly, her eyes shining with conviction._

_Nodding in approval, the greater youkai then shifted his gaze sideway._

_"Jaken!"_

_Wordlessly, the toad youkai emerged from the woods and handed the girl a white kimono with an yellow and purple obi that was identical to Sesshomaru's belt. "Put this on, Rin."_

_"A new kimono?"_

_"Not just any kimono. This kimono can only be worn by a maid belonging to Makurazaki's royal palace. Only a handful of humans have ever been awarded such an honor."_

_Carefully, reverently, the girl took the offered robe in her hands and stared at it as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "Sesshomaru-sama..." she whispered in a voice filled with emotion._

_"Grow stronger, Rin," said the youkai simply and the girl could only nod in reply._

--End flashback--

"So that's how you got here in the first place. That's a pretty incredible story. I know you're telling the truth, but that's still quite incredible," commented Yomiko, visibly impressed by the tale she had just heard.

"I think the most incredible of all is that you managed to pass the trial of adulthood without having any idea of what it was nor what it was you were supposed to be looking for."

"Trial of adulthood? You mean when I thought Sesshomaru-sama had abandoned me?"

"Yeah, we youkai undergo this when we reach a certain age. We're set completely free and are forbidden to come back to our parents until we've found our path in life. It took me six months to find my answers. For you to find your own in three weeks while being completely oblivious to what was going on was nothing short of astounding," explained Yomiko.

"If you say so," answered Rin, blushing slightly at the praise. "We humans don't have any tests like that. Children grow up and eventually, they leave on their own. That's how we do things."

"I see, it's quite a bit different than the youkai way. Each race has their own ways I suppose. But you know, something still confuses me about all of this. Why is it that you seem to have an inferiority complex? Hell, you just set a new record for the test of adulthood and it still seems like it's not enough for you."

This caused the blush on Rin's cheeks to intensify. "The way he looked at me when we were reunited... and then urging me to grow stronger... I know Jaken-sama said it was a great honor to become a maid here but somehow... I feel like I've disappointed Sesshomaru-sama. I think he would have wanted me to follow down a more glorious path. That's why I can't help but feel bad about myself."

"Don't," immediately replied Yomiko with finality in her voice. "'Grow stronger' is something we youkai say to someone we feel has great potential and has all the means to unlock it. It's an encouragement that's never given lightly. And besides, if the guy had actually felt disappointed in you, do you really think he would have allowed you to work here?"

To say Rin was relieved at hearing her friend's comment was probably the understatement of the century. She felt as if an immense weight had just been lifted off her shoulders as she collapsed forward, her eyes wide and unseeing.

"So I've never... disappointed him?" whispered the girl in a haunted voice.

"Nope. If anything you've probably even exceeded his expectations," replied Yomiko with a smile.

Rin shook her head, unable to believe what was happening. Months she had spent beating herself up, thinking she had made the wrong choice somewhere along the line. And now, her new friend had just showed her she had been right after all. The feeling was so incredible that it was beyond words. Unable to restrain herself, she threw herself in the youkai's arms and started to cry, letting her tears wash away the pain that had no more reason to be.

After long minutes of this cleansing treatment, Rin pulled away and wiped her eyes face with her sleeve and truly smiled for the first time in months. "Thank you, Yomiko... for everything."

"Hey, what are friends for?" winked the youkai playfully before her expression turned serious once again. "Still, you were right about one thing. If what you've told me ever gets out, there's no telling what sort of an uproar it'll cause. Youkai and humans usually don't intermingle, so if word that Sesshomaru actually has a human charge spreads... you'll be lucky if you escape with your death."

"Don't you mean 'if you escape with your life'?"

"Nope. If this thing breaks into the open, believe me, you really _will_ wish you were dead."

And Rin couldn't help but shiver as she realized that her secret just might be a little bigger than she had originally envisioned.

-----------------------------

**Author's note:** Well, there you have it people. Sorry for the long delay, I'm having trouble in one of the later chapter so I slowed down the actual posting of the story, thanks for your patience. Anyway, that's it for Rin this time, next chapter... it's on with Inuyasha and the rest of the gang, I'm sure you must all be dying to hear from them by now he he he ;). Also, for those of you who might be wondering "Why doesn't Sesshomaru offer a better place to Rin in Makurazaki?", well the answer is complicated... but it can be summarized by the simple fact that he can't. Anyway, see you all next chapter everyone and thanks again for your patience.


	7. Blood problems

**Disclaimer: **Most of the characters in this story are the actual work of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own them in any way.

**Special acknowledgment:** Many thanks to Sangoscourage for actually coming up with the names of the extra characters in this story.

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**Chapter 4: Blood problems**

Branches whipped at her face as she ran desperately through the woods. Her lungs were on fire, her legs were hurting, but she did not dare stop her race for fear of what was behind her. She didn't know exactly what it was... but it filled her with more fear and terror than she ever would have thought possible. She could feel it coming closer and closer, almost to the point of touching her. And then she tripped, falling hard on the ground, roots and bushes tearing her clothing apart and causing blood to start dripping from numerous scratches.

She tried to stand up, god only knows she tried, but her legs simply would not work for her anymore. So she looked up... and her breath caught in her throat. Before her stood an almost identical copy of herself. The clothing, the hairstyle, the height, the pose... all of it was exactly the same, except the eyes. They were blood-red and shining with pure sadistic pleasure.

"You can't run from me anymore."

Hell even the thing's voice sounded exactly like hers. As her replica took a step toward her, Kagome crawled backward as far as she could. This gesture seemed to irritate her double somewhat because the feral grin disappeared, replaced with a look of annoyance.

"You still think you can escape me? I'll show you just how foolish you are!"

And then, before she could react, the replica lunged forward and grabbed the helpless miko by the throat. However, as soon as she did so, there was a sharp discharge of energy and the evil twin was abruptly thrown backward several meters.

"Hmpf. So that bitch's barrier still holds eh?" she said, more to herself than to Kagome.

Then, picking herself up, she slowly made her way back to the cowering woman and glared malevolently at her. "You've been spared this time... but don't think you'll be so lucky the next time we meet," she spat before fading away into oblivion.

Letting out a scream of terror, Kagome abruptly bolted up in bed, drenched in sweat and panting wildly. Awakened by her sudden movement, Inuyasha who was sleeping beside her, was instantly up and alert.

"Kagome, what's wrong!?"

But she did not answer, she merely kept looking at her hands with a haunted expression. Only when he firmly grabbed her shoulders and turned her trembling form toward him did she snap out of her horrified daze. And even then, she only acknowledged his presence long enough to throw herself at him like a lost child who suddenly found his parents.

For the longest of times, Inuyasha kept silent, gently stroking his mate's back and allowing his own calm to slowly seep into her. Gradually, the fear that had her body quaking seemed to dissolve away under his gentle ministrations. Her tense muscles became relaxed once again, her heartbeat slowed down and her breathing evened. Only then did the hanyou disentangled himself and brought her chin up to make her look at him in the eyes.

"Now, what was that all about?" he asked, not exactly firmly, but in a tone that brooked no arguments.

"A... nightmare," she whispered, shuddering in remembrance. "I was chased by... an evil version of myself. I tried my best to flee... but she eventually managed to catch up to me. And then, she tried to grab me but..."

Seeing his wife's expression going from fearful to puzzled, the hanyou couldn't help but feel intrigued by this whole thing. "What happened?"

"She was thrown back by something. She mentioned something about a barrier, but I have no idea what she meant. After that, she just vanished, telling me I wouldn't be so lucky the next time we would meet."

"It must have been pretty damn unnerving. I haven't seen you this shaken up since our run-in with Akkimaru."

"Yeah, I know. It's just... the way she looked at me... it was as if she knew _everything_ about me. My strengths, my weaknesses, my fears, my desires... _everything_. And she actually reveled in the fact that she would have the opportunity to use this knowledge to hurt me."

"Kagome..." whispered the hanyou when he felt his mate start trembling once again.

Unsure what to do to chase away the fear that had once again showed its ugly head, Inuyasha did the only thing he could think of. He wrapped Kagome in a comforting embrace and molded his lips to hers. Almost immediately, he felt her body relax as she started kissing back. He was surprised when he felt his wife's claws start to fumble with the straps of his clothing.

Pulling away from the kiss, he gazed at Kagome's gorgeous golden-brown eyes questioningly. She answered him with a look that made any objections he might have dissolve away instantly. It was a look of simple and utter need. There was no lust in there, no passion. Just a burning need that Inuyasha understood immediately. Kagome needed him. She needed to feel him, to taste him, to be reassured by him. In short, she needed him to chase away the remnants of her nightmare and re-anchor her into reality.

Wordlessly, he reached down and undid the obi securing his wife's kimono. The material fell open, thus granting him access to areas of his wife's body he was sure no other man had ever had access to. Gently, he started caressing her soft flesh, touching, pinching and grazing places he knew would make her crazy. Sure enough, after a few minutes of this treatment, Kagome forcefully brought his face down to meet hers and passionately invaded his mouth with her tongue.

Satisfied that what had been haunting his wife was now gone, Inuyasha was only too happy to answer in kind. Yes, the day where the great hanyou would be bested by a dream had not yet arrived.

-----------------------------

Kneeling down, Kagome plucked a medicinal herb from the garden and soothed its leaves pensively. This was the beginning of fall and the days were becoming increasingly short. Already, she could tell that she would not be able to get much more out of the herb garden. The plant she had just picked out was among the last remaining and its leaves were small and withered.

All around her, leaves were starting to show specks of yellow and orange, promising a wonderful spectacle in the near future. For now though, the temperature was still too warm and the days too long for colors to really show. Shifting her attention backward, her eyes fell on her and Inuyasha's house and she simply couldn't help but smile.

It was a small three rooms house with one story. Nothing really fancy or special distinguished it from the rest of the huts in the village... but it was _their _house, _their _home. Well, maybe not _exactly _home yet. There were still too many details that didn't feel quite right yet. For example, their futon was still too new for it to have soaked in hers and Inuyasha's scents. The floor was still too stainless for her liking (as strange as this might seem). In short, everything was still too new for it to feel like home, but it was okay. Inuyasha was with her and just that was enough to make her happy and content.

Turning her head slightly to the side, her gaze came to rest on another house that was currently in the process of being built. It sported about the same dimensions and had almost the same design. The only thing left to do with this one was the roof which was about halfway done. This one belonged to Miroku and Sango who had finally managed to tie the knot about a month ago once the demon slayer had fully recovered from her injuries sustained during the fight with Naraku. Inuyasha, who participated in the construction, had estimated that they would be done in a few days at most, thus giving the new couple plenty of time to settle down before winter arrived.

As for the last members of their little group, things were looking good for them too. All the physical traces of Yuna's slavery had, by now, mostly disappeared. Thanks to a much better treatment, her form had filled out nicely and her hair, originally dry and fragile had gained a nice luster and an attractive wave. The only clue left that the girl had ever been a slave was her shy and slightly hesitant behavior. With all the help and support she was receiving from everyone around her however, the progress she had accomplished in the last few months was enormous and left everyone highly optimistic.

Kagura had been the one who had surprised everyone the most though. Not having had much of an opportunity to hone anything but her fighting skills, finding herself a place in the small community had been a challenge. Still, after a few failed experiments (which still tended to cause laughter when mentioned), she had actually discovered she enjoyed... sewing of all things.

Kagome couldn't help but smile when she remembered just how utterly shocked she had been when Kagura had come to her one day, inquiring if she actually needed any of her clothes repaired. Not exactly hopeful about the end-result but unwilling to discourage the youkai in her relentless search, she had complied and handed her one of her hakama which had been the unfortunate victim of a misplaced tree branch. She had to admit that she had been pleasantly surprised by the sorceress' work. The points, though a bit clumsy and irregular, were well made, sturdy and what's more, they still held on even now.

And so, that was how Kagura had finally found her place as the village's official seamstress. Content with her fate for the moment, the wind sorceress was already looking forward to have her own house built the coming summer. It was strange to see the eyes that had been so cold and emotionless at one point, light up and glow with life when she smiled. Yes, the wind sorceress had gone a long way from her time in Naraku's clutches... and everyone liked her much better that way.

In short, life was definitively looking up for everyone in their little group. After years of fighting, the time had now come for them to settle down and live happily ever after. Or so she had thought until last night when a terrible nightmare had come and shattered her newfound peace. Why was it that fate kept taunting her like this? Hadn't she fought enough already? Hadn't she suffered enough? Why couldn't she simply be happy?

_"And why has my blood started feeling warm all of a sudden?"_

As those dark thoughts swirled through her head, she felt a sharp sting on her cheek that caused her to jerk slightly in surprise. Bringing her hand up, she slapped mercilessly at the bug and looked on without much of a surprise as the flattened form of Myoga floated down in her open palm.

"Well well, look who's here," she greeted sardonically.

"Greetings Kagome, it has been a long time," huffed the bug once he had recovered from the blow.

"Yeah... four months to be exact. Last time you showed up was at my wedding with one stupidly embarrassing gift."

"You mean the aphrodisiac? Surely, after all this time, you must have had time to cool... oofff!" he exhaled as the girl hanyou's palm crushed him once again.

"Not quite! Thanks to you, Inuyasha and I were the laughing stock of the entire village for more than two weeks you pea-brained flea! Why did you have to go and give us _that_ in front of everyone?"

"Well I..."

"Oh never mind! Just tell me why you suddenly decided to come back after all this time... and come to _me_ instead of Inuyasha," brushed off Kagome impatiently.

"Well I... hum," coughed the flea nervously. "I... made an alarming discovery that concerns you."

At those words, the hanyou girl instantly stiffened and she shot Myoga a piercing gaze. "What sort of discovery?"

"Well... perhaps it would be best to discuss these in more... private quarters," replied the bug while looking left and right for any possible eavesdroppers.

Casting one mighty suspicious glare at the flea youkai, Kagome complied nonetheless and so it was that a few minutes later, the two were comfortably settled down in Kaede's hut.

"So Myoga, what is it that you found out?"

"Kagome, when I found out about your transformation four months ago, I was immediately troubled by something. I did not say anything right away because I did not want to alarm you unnecessarily, especially on the eve of your wedding day, but now... I'm afraid that all of my research only confirmed my earlier suspicion."

"And what was this terrible suspicion of yours anyway?"

"Kagome, no matter how I look at it, you should not have been able to come out of your transformation as well as you did. By all means, you should have lost your mind!"

The miko couldn't help but sigh heavily at this rather unimpressive discovery. "Myoga... I thought I told you all of this already. I managed to get a hold of the Tessaiga before I lost my mind."

"Yes, but Tessaiga only acts so long as you hold it! With the amount of power your youkai blood absorbed through the jewel, it should have roared right back to life immediately after you released the blade!"

"What?" questioned the female hanyou, suddenly tense.

"It's exactly as I tell you! Kagome something is holding your youkai blood back! And it's likely just a matter of time until that thing gives way!"

Kagome's features took on a haunted expression as the events of her dream suddenly took on a whole new different meaning. The red eyes, the evilness of her twin, the mention of a barrier, the sudden heat of her blood, all of it abruptly slammed into place, creating a picture so clear and so horrible that it made her head spin.

"Myoga... how long? Can you tell me how long I have left?"

"A day, a week, a month... there's absolutely no way to tell for sure. That's why you have to hurry and get your hands on the Tessaiga until we can figure something out!"

As soon as the words left the old flea's mouth, Kagome felt her blood abruptly surge in her veins. Unprepared for the onslaught, the miko collapsed forward, gasping in both surprise and pain. Unsure what had caused this sudden reaction, the miko's answer came a second later when a distant voice resonated in her mind.

_"No! Not that blasted sword again! I won't let you!"_

She understood then that her youkai blood did not want to be sealed again. However, the barrier still held and prevented it from invading her conscious mind. Still, with this amount of activity, there was no telling how long it would last. Turning her attention to Myoga who was bounding hopelessly up and down, she managed to gather enough breath to wheeze out two words that she hoped would be enough explanation for the flea.

"Get... Inu... Yasha!"

She watched with great relief as understanding dawned on the bug's face and he promptly bounded out the door, leaving her alone to struggle with her steaming... okay, maybe not exactly steaming, more like uncomfortably hot blood. And the pressure she felt at the edge of her consciousness felt more like a slight tug than like someone was actually trying to take over her mind.

_"That's odd. Wasn't the barrier supposed to be weakening?"_ she reflected as she righted herself.

Before she could reflect much more on this however, the screen was suddenly thrown aside by an out of breath Inuyasha.

"Kagome!" he exclaimed and stopped short. "You're... okay?"

"I... I guess I am," she answered, somewhat unsure of herself. "But I think I'll take the Tessaiga if you don't mind. No sense in tempting fate."

"Tessaiga? What on earth do you want it for?"

"You mean you didn't see Myoga?" questioned the woman in confusion.

"Myoga? Hell no, I felt your fear through our bond and I just knew something bad was happening."

"Well, come to think of it, you did get here awfully quickly considering Myoga left not a minute ago," she admitted pensively. "But in any case, I do need to borrow your sword."

Visibly not understanding, but knowing Kagome wasn't one to make such a request lightly, Inuyasha took the Tessaiga out of his belt and handed it to his mate. As soon as the miko had it in hand, she breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the temperature of her blood return to normal.

"Okay, so you have my sword. Now will you explain to me why you wanted it in the first place?"

Opening her mouth to answer her mate's question, Kagome was interrupted when Myoga's alarmed form bounded into the room.

"Inuyasha-sama! Inuyasha-sama! You..."

But the flea stopped short when he saw the sword firmly in the miko's hands. Breathing a visible sigh of relief, the bug jumped on his lord's shoulder and settled down comfortably.

"So you made it in time it would seem. That's a good thing."

"Made it in time? Would someone mind telling me what the hell's going on?" snapped the hanyou irritably.

"Well..." started the woman.

"Inuyasha! What happened? Is Kagome all right?"

Once again, the screen was pushed aside to reveal the slightly disheveled forms of Miroku and Sango. Letting out an indistinct growl of annoyance, the hanyou punched his forehead three times before leveling a glare at his friends.

"For crying out loud is this some sort of conspiracy!?" he asked irritably.

"Conspiracy?" answered Miroku while exchanging a confused look with his wife.

"Keh! Never mind! Just flop down wherever you want and shut up! I'd like to hear what my mate's been trying to say for the last five minutes!"

"Inuyasha! I know you're anxious to hear me out, but that's no reason to take it out on Sango and Miroku, they were just concerned about me!" countered Kagome sternly.

Seeing the truth behind his mate's words but refusing to admit his wrong, the hanyou merely grunted and averted his gaze, his features barred with a stubborn frown. Sighing in discouragement, the miko decided to turn her attention to a more friendly audience.

"Sorry about that. You know how he can get at times," she apologized with a light chuckle.

"No harm done Kagome, we're pretty much used to Inuyasha's short temper," reassured Sango with a wry smile.

"Well, in any case, I can't really say I blame him this time," replied the miko, all traces of humor gone from her voice. "My youkai blood has just reawakened."

The silence that fell on the room was deafening. Everyone was so shocked by this declaration that they sat there, staring at her as if they were petrified. Through her bond with her husband, Kagome could feel the whirlwind of emotions inhabiting Inuyasha. Distress, horror, powerlessness... and also fear, the paralyzing fear of what he would have had to do had she lost herself completely.

"Kagome..." whispered the hanyou, his gaze begging her to tell him she had been joking.

Averting her eyes, the girl stared at the ground before gathering her thoughts once more. "As long as I hold Tessaiga in my hands I should be all right though," she said, but the reassurance sounded hollow even to her.

"Kagome-sama... when did this happen?" questioned Miroku, finally snapping out of his stupor.

"It all started last night with a dream I had. Then, this morning when I woke up, I felt as if my blood was slightly warmer. I didn't think anything of it until Myoga came though. He told me that with the amount of power my blood ingested through the jewel, it should not have been possible for me to keep my sanity after I released Tessaiga."

"Yet you did. How was that possible then?" asked Sango, visibly perplexed.

"Someone cast a barrier to seal it away."

"And who on earth could have cast a barrier on you wench? I was there and the only person with that sort of ability around was Akkimaru. And she sure as hell didn't use them that way... unless I missed something!"

"You're right Inuyasha, it wasn't Akkimaru. It was someone else. In my dream, my twin seemed to know who had set it in place because she said 'that bitch's barrier'," replied the hanyou girl with a look that plainly said she knew exactly who 'that bitch' referred to.

"Kagome, what aren't you telling us?" questioned Sango carefully.

_"I can't tell them... I just can't,"_ she reflected while averting her eyes to the floor in order to avoid her friend's inquiring gazes.

"It's Kikyo isn't it?"

Snapping her head up she stared at her mate with a mix of surprise and horror. Shame was quick to replace her initial guilty feeling as she saw the unspoken accusations dancing in the hanyou's amber orbs. Feeling her eyes starting to burn with unshed tears, the miko frantically tried to find words to explain herself, to justify her irrational behavior... yet none came to mind. The only thing she could do was look away, unable to withstand her mate's intense gaze.

"I thought we had overcome this Kagome? Are you still afraid I'm going to end up with Kikyo... even after all that happened?"

"NO!!! That's not this at all!!" she exclaimed, vehemently denying her husband's claim.

"Then what the fuck is it then!?" barked back the hanyou.

"I just... don't want you to hate her," answered the girl, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Hate her?" repeated the hanyou in confusion. "Now why on earth would I do that?"

Now it was Kagome's turn to glare at her husband fiercely. "Because she knew... and she didn't say anything. If it hadn't been for Myoga showing up when he did, there's a good chance my blood would have taken over before I even knew what was going on!"

"Keh! You're more stupid than I thought wench!" snapped Inuyasha, visibly irritated by his wife's lack of faith in him. "You honestly believe I could hate Kikyo just like that? Dammit! The least she deserves is the chance to explain herself!"

"And how do you propose we do that? She's inside my soul you damn idiot! We can't just waltz in and ask her!"

Seeing the tone rapidly escalating, Miroku wisely decided to step in before things could spiral out of control.

"To that effect, I believe I might be of some assistance."

Two pairs of amber eyes instantly snapped to him and pinned him down with an intensity that took the monk slightly off guard. Coughing slightly to hide his sudden discomfort, the monk schooled his features and spoke up.

"Are any of you familiar with the notion of... spiritual diving?"

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**Author's note:** Well, happy 2007 everyone, I hope you all had a happy Christmas. So, I'm finally back with this story. Sorry if updates are slow, I really AM working hard on this one, it's just incredibly difficult to get it just right as there are about a gazillion details I have to set into place... and what's more, I actually have to try and keep things coherent between all the branches, something which is quite the challenge. Anyway, now we're switching to Inuyasha and the gang, I'm sure you all must be thrilled at finally see them coming along he he he. So Kagome has a bit of a blood problem and also some sort of split personality on her hands... seems like fate decided to try her out once more ;). In any case, see you all next chapter... and happy new year once again.


	8. Spiritual diving

**Disclaimer:** Most of the characters in this story are the actual work of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own them in any way.

**Special acknowledgment:** Many thanks to kikyounokanashii for her amazing job on this chapter :).

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**Chapter 5: Spiritual diving**

"Spiritual diving? What's that supposed to be? A new sport?" questioned Inuyasha suspiciously.

"Hardly," replied Miroku. "It involves sending someone else's soul into Kagome-sama's to examine what is happening."

"And how is it done exactly? You can't just go around and ask someone's soul to enter mine."

"No, of course not. First, a temporary link must be established between the two souls involved. Then, the diver travels down the link and exits into the receiver's mind, does his or her business and walks back out and into his or her own body."

"That sounds easy enough," commented Sango pensively. "However, I have the distinct impression that things aren't nearly as simple as you made them out to be Miroku."

"That is true. There are numerous risks involved. If the link breaks before the diver can return to his body then he becomes permanently trapped inside the receiver's soul. It becomes worse if the link is severed while the soul is in-between bodies, then it's a guaranteed death without any hope of revival. Then, not all people have a soul strong enough to assimilate what they are exposed to while they dive. The mind can be a scary place."

"And considering what's going on in mine, it's going to be mighty ugly."

"Keh! From what I understand, it's nothing more dangerous than what we've already faced in the past," said Inuyasha, a hint of impatience beginning to show in his voice. "In any case, Kagome and I are already linked so I'll do the diving; it'll be one less thing to worry about since this link can't be severed."

"As true as what you say might be Inuyasha, I'm afraid things are not exactly as simple. For one soul to successfully enter someone else's, there has to be a certain level of compatibility between the two," countered the monk.

"We're _mated_, how much more compatible do you want us to be?"

"It's not the same thing. You see, souls can be compared to liquid. Some will be like water, some will be like milk, others will resemble oil and so on. If a soul resembling milk tries to dive into a soul resembling water, then things will work because the two can be mixed. However, if a soul resembling oil tries to do the diving, he won't be able to do it because the two can't be mixed together."

"I see, so basically, some souls can merge and some can't and there's no way to change that. It's how things are naturally. Just like you're born a girl or a boy and stay that way for the rest of your life," concluded Kagome.

"Precisely. And the nature of your soul has nothing to do with the feelings you might or might not have for someone."

"So basically, before we can even hope to accomplish that, we have to find someone whose soul is compatible with mine... How exactly do we do that anyway? We try the dive and see what happens?"

"Hardly. Testing for soul compatibility is a simple thing. I merely have to create a spiritual field around you and have people wander in it to see what will happen. If there's a reaction, then the two of you are incompatible. If nothing happens, however, then the procedure can be attempted."

"And just what are the odds that we find someone compatible with me?" questioned Kagome with a hint of suspicion.

"Difficult to say. However, usually about one person in four is spiritually compatible," replied Miroku.

"Well, that's good enough for me. So, when do we start exactly?"

"I will need about half an hour to prepare. Also, if one of you would be so kind as to go and fetch Kaede-sama, I will need her assistance for the actual casting."

"I can do that," offered Sango. "Why don't you two go find Kagura, Yuna and Shippo, I wager they'll want to know what's going on," she added while looking at her two remaining friends.

"Yeah, that's right. What do you say, Inuyasha?"

"Keh! Whatever! Let's just get on with it!" snapped the hanyou before bounding out the door.

Kagome rolled her eyes and shook her head at her mate's typical behavior before taking off after him with a muttered apology, leaving the monk and the demon slayer to stare at the door with something very close to amusement.

"These two really make quite a pair, don't they?" commented Miroku pensively.

"Yeah... it makes you wonder just what their children will be like, doesn't it?"

"Indeed it does. And quite frankly, I cannot be sure if I should feel anxious... or afraid at the prospect."

And the two couldn't help but burst out laughing at the monk's admission.

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"All right Yuna, now go ahead and stretch the bubble into a thin blanket," ordered Kagura.

The child nodded and closed her eyes in concentration. At first, nothing happened, but gradually the sphere of water suspended in midair started to turn oval in shape under the force of the sorceress' will. The oval then turned into a rectangle as beads of sweat began to appear on Yuna's forehead from the effort required to shape the water. That was about as far as she went before she collapsed to her knees, panting, her bubble of water splashing harmlessly to the ground.

"Yuna, what's the matter with you today? You can usually manage this exercise better than this," commented the youkai with a hint of concern in her voice.

"I'm sorry Kagura-sama, I..." whispered the girl before she was struck hard by a wave of vertigo.

When her vision stabilized once again, Yuna was safely cradled in Kagura's arms and Shippo was hovering next to her worriedly.

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well today?" questioned the sorceress softly but sternly.

Yuna didn't miss the hurt dancing in the sorceress' eyes and she felt her heart constrict painfully in her chest at this. The truth of the matter was that she hadn't told because she had been afraid of what would happen. While she had been a slave, telling her masters she was sick had always brought forth more punishment so she had learned to hide such things. And this morning, when she had awakened feeling faint, she acted out of habit without even realizing what she was doing.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, not knowing what else to say.

"It's okay," reassured the youkai with a smile. "I did smell something wrong with you this morning, but I didn't do a thing so, I guess that I'm partly to blame. However, next time you aren't feeling well, why don't you tell me? You could have hurt yourself."

"I know... and I'm sorry, I just... didn't realize myself I had been doing it."

"It's okay Yuna, we all do stupid things at one point or another. It's no big..."

"Shippo!" cut in Kagura warningly.

"What? What did I..." but just then, the kitsune realized what he just said and promptly snapped his mouth shut as a formidable blush spread on his cheeks. "Well hum... I... huh... suppose I'm... no exception... to this rule."

There was an awkward pause that broke when Yuna burst into a giggling fit. Kagura wasn't long to follow and pretty soon, even Shippo surrendered to the general mirth. However, a bad cough from the sick child cut the moment short.

"Seems like you just caught yourself a cold, young woman. How about we go and see if Kaede and Kagome wouldn't have something that might help you with that?"

"Okay," agreed the girl, still slightly breathless.

With that said, the trio slowly started on their way back to the village. As they walked, Kagura couldn't help but notice that Shippo kept stealing furtive glances at Yuna that had absolutely nothing to do with worry or concern. This made her smile despite herself.

Shippo's feelings for her surrogate daughter had quickly become apparent after they had decided to settle down in the village. He always went out of his way to be near Yuna and do something that would please her. Kagura didn't really mind as the boy's outgoing and ever-cheerful attitude did wonders for the girl's shy and reserved demeanor. In fact, thanks to his help, she had made quite a number of friends in the village and the sorceress was grateful for this. Yes, Shippo was a good boy, one that she knew she could trust with Yuna's still fragile heart.

Her musing was interrupted when she noticed a familiar couple walking on the trail and heading straight for them.

"Kagome? Inuyasha? What are you two doing up here?" she questioned when they were within earshot.

"Well, we were on our way to meet you actually," answered the miko seriously.

"Really? Now that's funny, we were also on our way to see you, Kagome."

"Yeah well, I'm sorry to say that whatever you wanted with me will have to wait. We've got a bit of bad news that can't wait," countered the female hanyou, not reacting at all to the sorceress' joke.

Feeling her jovial mood instantly evaporate, Kagura frowned in both confusion and apprehension when she noticed just what the girl was currently holding. "What could be so important that it would require you to come all the way up here to meet us?"

"My youkai blood's starting to act up... among other things. Come on, we'll fill you in on the way."

Nodding in assent, the sorceress meant to follow but stopped short as an odd feeling washed over her. It was gone almost as soon as it appeared, leaving her to wonder if she had imagined it or not. She peered carefully into the woods around them but could not see anything out of the ordinary, shrugged and took off to catch up to her friends.

As it turned out, even with the best of eyes, it would have been impossible for Kagura to see the shape hiding behind a thick bush. The form of a young girl with emotionless black eyes. The form of a young girl all dressed in white. The form of Kanna.

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"So, you want one of us to attempt spiritual diving to try and see what's going on inside your soul," summarized Kagura pensively.

"Yes... that's the only way to understand what's happening to me. I know I don't really have the right to ask anyone of you to put your life on the line for me, but..."

"Just stop right there, Kagome," interrupted Sango firmly. "Do you honestly believe anyone of us is going to stand idly by and watch you turn into a blood-thirsty monster when we can do something to prevent it?"

Looking left and right, the miko was faced with an array of looks that radiated sheer determination. She realized then that whatever guilt she might face at placing her friends in danger was ill-placed. They were all ready to do for her what she would do for them without a second thought.

"I'm sorry, I guess I don't want any of you to get hurt for my sake," she amended with an embarrassed blush.

"Concern goes both ways, child. You worry about them and they worry about you. That is a sign of true friendship. You have nothing to be embarrassed about," reassured Kaede warmly and Kagome's cheeks darkened even more.

After a few seconds of awkward silence Miroku coughed slightly, thus bringing everyone back to the matter at hand. "Since this little matter seems to be taken care of, I propose we start the test. After all, there's no sense in delaying any further."

"Agreed. Now if all of you would be so kind as to move away slightly, we shall raise the dousing field," announced the old miko.

Kagome moved to the center of the room and waited as Miroku and Kaede began putting a series of buckets filled with sacred water in a perfect circle around her. After that, they both began their chanting and she started feeling tingly all over as the magic field formed and resonated with her soul. After a few seconds of this, there was a bright flash of light and she found herself engulfed in a semi-transparent bluish dome.

"The field is in place," announced the monk. "Now all that needs to be done is for each of you to try and touch it with your hand. If nothing happens, it is a good sign. If you are pushed back then attempting the dive is impossible for you."

The first one to step forward was Inuyasha. This didn't really surprise Kagome; if her mate proved to be compatible then he wouldn't allow anyone else to even try the test. As it turned out though, the moment his hand came in contact with the field, there was a jolt of energy and he drew back with a sharp hiss.

"Dammit, what the hell does this mean Miroku? Kagome and I are mates! Our souls are meant to be compatible!" exclaimed the hanyou angrily.

"Feelings have nothing to do with compatibility. It simply means that your two souls are different and there's nothing that can be done about this. I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

With a frustrated grunt, he moved aside and flopped down into a corner, his amber gaze filled with hurt. Kagome felt her heart squeeze in her chest. She knew her mate was taking this the wrong way... that he was seeing this as a sign that somewhere along the line, they weren't meant to be and, despite herself, she couldn't help but feel somewhat the same despite the monk's thorough explanation on the subject.

She didn't have much time to dwell on this because the next person stepped forward, this time Kagura. Again, the same thing happened and the youkai's hand was pushed away by the energy field. Shrugging apologetically, the sorceress walked away and was almost immediately replaced by Sango.

The demon slayer grinned and winked at her before carefully approaching her hand. Her fingers brushed against the surface of the field lightly... and nothing happened. Encouraged, the woman pushed forward and her entire hand entered the barrier without as much as a spark.

"Sango seems to be compatible," observed the Kagura.

"It would appear so," agreed Miroku as he and Kaede let the field drop.

Even if the monk's features betrayed nothing, it was quite obvious that he was deeply troubled by this turn of events. Both miko and demon slayer looked at each other knowingly before Kagome spoke up in a light tone.

"Why don't we take a small break. It's obvious that raising this field took its toll on Kaede and Miroku. They deserve a bit of a rest."

"Right, Kagome," Sango immediately agreed. "Come on Miroku, why don't we go and take a little walk to air your head."

The monk looked at his wife with an unreadable expression before nodding mutely and following Sango outside. Seeing that this part at least was now safely out of her hands, Kagome turned to her mate and smiled at him.

"Would you mind taking a little walk with me, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou grunted in response but didn't move. Huffing slightly in annoyance, the girl walked over to him and did the cutest pout she could muster. "Oh come now, Inuyasha, surely you wouldn't deny me this?"

The red-clad hanyou looked up to his wife and immediately felt his heart beat faster at her proximity. However, he also saw the meaningful look she was casting him, telling him mutely that she had ulterior motives for her proposal and that refusing was definitely not an option.

"Keh! Whatever!" he grudgingly accepted.

With that said, the couple also walked out the door, leaving the rest of the group to look after them with smiles on their faces.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" questioned Shippo with a bit of concern.

"Do not worry yourself Shippo, these four have all seen much worse in the past. They will be fine," reassured Kaede warmly.

Just then, the relative silence of the hut was broken by Yuna breaking into a coughing fit. "Why child, you seem to have caught yourself a nasty cold. Why don't you let me see what I can do for you?"

"That would be greatly appreciated Kaede, thank you," replied Kagura with a grateful bow.

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The hanyou couple walked silently through the huts of the village, Inuyasha with an angry frown and Kagome with a pensive look. She wasn't quite sure what she could say to alleviate their mutual fear. After all the explanations provided by Miroku, she knew that their soul's compatibility had absolutely nothing to do with their mutual feelings and yet... here she was, doubting her feelings for Inuyasha for the very first time in her life.

Realizing just how far her fear had already taken her, she couldn't help but blink in surprise at her own foolishness. Years of hardship, of pain, of constant battle had brought both Inuyasha and she closer than they had ever thought possible. And yet, one little spark on a barrier was enough to bring them apart? How ridiculous could things get?

"It bothers you doesn't it?" she questioned, finally knowing what she had to say.

"Nothing bothers me!" shot back Inuyasha irritably.

"It bothers you... because it bothered me too when it happened so don't try to deny it."

"Yeah, so what if it does bother me that our souls are incompatible!? What are you going to do about it!?"

"There's nothing either of us can do about _this_ in particular... however, we both can and _will_ do something about the germ of doubt that's just started to sprout between us!"

"D... Doubt?" stammered the hanyou, his eyes widening as if he had just realized what he was currently feeling.

"Yes, Inuyasha, doubt. You know it's funny. We've known each other for over three years. We've fought, bled, cried, shouted at each other more times than we can count but never before have we doubted each other. Yet, one tiny little spark on a spiritual field and everything is suddenly going right down the drain."

"Kagome..." whispered the hanyou, his golden eyes widening with fear and horror.

The woman felt bad for having played such a dirty trick on her mate, but she knew it was the quickest way to dispel his doubts. When faced with the possibility that he might lose her, Inuyasha was just about ready to do anything. She saw anger abruptly wash away the terror inhabiting her mate's features and for a split second, she was afraid he might have seen through her trick, but luckily for her, it wasn't so.

"So now, a stupid spark is enough to make you doubt me!? Is that how little faith you have in me!?" snapped Inuyasha irritably.

Reassured that everything was now back to normal, Kagome giggled slightly and approached her husband until she was only millimeters away from him. "For one brief instant, Inuyasha, when your hand bounced off the barrier, I did doubt, just like you. But then I realized just how silly it was to measure all that we've been through with one single event."

"Yeah, you're right. It doesn't matter whether our souls are compatible or not. I know my heart and my feelings... and I know you feel the same way toward me. It's all that matters... but in the end, I guess I needed a little reminder."

Unable to pass up such an opportunity, Kagome gently traced a finger down Inuyasha's jaw and smiled mischievously at him. "You know dear, I think I might need a little reminder myself," she whispered, her voice taking on a husky tone.

Inuyasha instantly felt his heart speed up at the barely disguised suggestion. "You're already up for more? After last night's round, I thought you'd be sated for the entire week at least," he joked.

"Are you talking about that little warm up we had? Come now, you can't possibly believe I'd be content with just that?" pouted the woman, purposefully letting her ears droop slightly to emphasize the cuteness of her posture.

Inuyasha however saw right through her mask and merely grinned even more. "You're insatiable, you know that?"

"You know it and love me for it."

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"Be honest with me, Miroku, you don't really want me to do this do you?" questioned Sango knowingly.

It took a long time for the monk to answer. His features were creased in deep concentration as he obviously searched for the right way to voice his thoughts.

"Sango... you are more precious to me than anything in this world. If I were to lose you, I would feel totally and completely lost," he finally admitted, causing the woman beside him to blush in embarrassment.

"Miroku..."

But the monk was far from being finished with his tirade and he continued on as if he had not heard his wife's murmur. "However, as much as I cannot bear the thought of losing you, I cannot bear the thought of keeping you if it means sacrificing one of my dearest friends either."

"So does this mean you will allow me to do this?"

The question caused Miroku to smile for the first time since they had left Kaede's hut. "I saw the look in your eyes when you talked to Kagome. You will go, no matter what I say."

"Well, that's partly true... you _are_ the one who's going to be casting the spell remember? If you refuse to open the way, I cannot do anything no matter how much I might want it."

"I will open the way, Sango. I will open the way and keep it open for as long as I humanly can. But you Sango must promise me that when this is all over, you will stop feeling guilty about what happened four months ago."

"I'm not..." began the woman but the monk cut her off.

"You are feeling guilty, Sango. You hide it very well, even from yourself I might say... but I saw it dancing in your eyes when you gazed at Kagome. It gnaws at you that you couldn't do anything to help when Akkimaru's threat fell down on us. Don't try to deny it, you know I'm right."

Unable to meet her husband's piercing gaze, the demon slayer simply couldn't do anything but avert her eyes in shame. How she wished at this very moment that Miroku wasn't so observant of her own feelings. It was true, at one key moment she hadn't been able to do anything to help those she held dear and she hated herself for it.

"Sango, you know this guilt is totally unfounded. When we were fighting Naraku, trying to keep him from noticing Kagome's absence, your ferocity rivaled Inuyasha's. The wounds you sustained were a direct result of your concern for your friend and you cannot possibly blame yourself for this."

"But it was a trick! Naraku tricked us and played with us! If I had fought a little less ferociously then..."

"We would have all been killed! If we hadn't given every single bit of what we had in that battle then we would have perished! Sango, you need to stop blaming yourself for something that wasn't even your fault to begin with."

Silence stretched between the two, long and uncomfortable, suffocating even. Finally, the woman gave up and, with a long sigh, she buried herself in her husband's arms.

"I'll try, Miroku. I can't promise you anything conclusive... but I'll try."

"Good enough, dear... good enough."

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**Author's note:** Okay, I know it's been a while... but what can I say, I'm busy with real life, so that means less time to write. In any case, I'm not giving up this story so you can rest assured. I'll try to update it more frequently, but as you can guess, real life is a bit more important than my stories. In any case, thanks for being so patient with me, I greatly appreciate it.


	9. Split personalities

**Disclaimer: **Most of the characters in this story are the actual work of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own them in any way.

**Note:** Well, sorry about the long delay. I'm having a great deal of trouble with the following cycle of this story as it involves Kanna and... she's a bitch to write about since she doesn't have any emotions. But I have things pretty much figured out so far, I just have the ending to finish up, but it's getting along nicely. Sorry for the long delay again, I'll try to update faster, but I can't guarantee anything. My life's getting busy and sadly, that means less time to write fanfiction. Don't worry though, I'm not planning on giving up.

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**Chapter 6: Split personalities**

"Well, we are all as ready as we can ever hope to be," announced Miroku as he finished placing a string decorated with sacred paper around one of Kaede's bedroom.

"So, how exactly will this go?" questioned Kagome.

"Well, the sacred paper I have just set up will create a barrier to prevent wandering souls from interfering or possessing Sango's body while her soul is out of her body. This barrier shall be sustained by Kaede-sama. Now, all you two will need to do is drink this special sleeping potion and then the process can begin."

"That seems simple enough for now. So what exactly should I be expecting?" inquired Sango curiously.

"In your sleep, you shall see some form of sign, a passageway or a tunnel of some sort. All you will have to do is cross it and you will enter Kagome's mind. This is where things get really dangerous. Just like the body has defense mechanisms to fight off infections, the mind also has ways to eradicate intruders. If you do something that Kagome's mind interprets as offensive in some way, it will most likely try to eliminate you."

"That's good to know. I'll try to keep from breaking anything. I do plan on surviving this little ordeal," replied the demon slayer with a slight shiver.

"And I plan on still having my best friend when I wake up," agreed Kagome with a falsely enthusiastic grin. "Well, as they say, there's no time like the present. What do you say we get on with this?"

"I couldn't agree with you more Kagome-chan."

"Then come forward and take your places on the beds," invited Miroku solemnly.

Resolutely, the two women walked into the room and sat at their designated place. The monk handed each of them a bowl containing a greenish mixture that stank something awful.

"I hope this thing tastes better than it smells," joked the hanyou girl with a grimace of distaste.

"I'm afraid it does not Kagome-sama," answered Miroku seriously.

The girl felt an pang of disappointment that the monk had not taken to her attempt at humor, but she let it pass. She knew very well how much Sango meant to Miroku and understood perfectly just what he was risking for her sake. Shifting her gaze slightly, she looked at the worried form of her mate, standing just outside the room. She smiled reassuringly at him and turned her attention back to her drink. At once, all traces of playfulness left her and her expression became dead serious. Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to compose herself before literally diving in.

"Bottoms up," she muttered and downed the medicine in one gulp.

Beside her, Sango did the same and they both grimaced at the bitter aftertaste. "God, this thing's worse than what Myoga gave us when we were recovering from Mukotsu's poison!" exclaimed the demon slayer.

However, her protests were quickly muffled by an enormous yawn as the concoction took effect. Deciding it would be better to lie down instead of actually falling over, the demon slayer carefully settled into her futon and in minutes, she was snoring happily away. Kagome wasn't long to follow suit, leaving the monk to watch over their prone form nervously.

"Kaede-sama, it is time," he announced and the old miko nodded.

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It was an odd sensation. Sango knew she had fallen asleep, but she didn't really feel like she was sleeping at all. In fact, she felt wide awake even though all she could see right now was a deep mist that clouded just about everything.

Then, circle of light suddenly pierced the fog right in front of her, revealing some sort of passageway that obviously lead somewhere else.

"Well, there's the tunnel Miroku was talking about," she said to herself.

Not wasting anymore time, she quickly made her way to the gate and entered it. As soon as she exited what might be considered her own mind, she felt herself sort of slipping away. Looking down, she saw her hands start to turn transparent and she felt a wave of fear wash over her. Gritting her teeth, she fought panic back and concentrated as hard as she could. After a while, the sensation vanished and she watched with great satisfaction as her hands recovered their opacity.

"Okay, enough time wasted," she said and sprinted through.

When she exited the tunnel, she ended up in one of the most incredible scenery she had ever seen. There was no fog here, instead there were enormous structures that climbed so high that they seemed to touch the sky. The ground was covered in a strange hard substance the slayer could not identify and before her lay what the woman deduced to be a street of some sort due to its general disposition.

Still, as strange as this scene was, what was even stranger was that everything seemed blurred in some way. There were no details anywhere. The structures were just tall gray rectangles, the ground was merely a vast expanse without a single bump or line whatsoever. What's more, there was not a single person to be seen anywhere and not a sound could be heard breaking the heavy silence.

"Okay... now this is definitively creepy."

"Kagome! Come on, we're gonna be late for school!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

The voice pierced the silence with such abruptness that Sango jumped about a foot in the air. Whirling around, she was just in time to see two young girls of about six dart past her only to disappear a few feet later.

"Kagome?" said the slayer, confused by what she had just saw. "Was that... a memory?"

And then the truth hit her. "Of course! It's an old memory that Kagome can't remember very well! That's why everything seems so bland!"

"Still, that doesn't help me much. Even if I surf through all of Kagome's memories, it won't help me find Kikyo."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the scenery around her shifted and she was transported into a much more familiar setting. She found herself standing in the forest near the bone-eater's well. The slayer noted that everything looked much sharper than in the previous memory. Before her, Kagome was standing behind a tree and looking on as Inuyasha talked with Kikyo.

"I don't care how you feel about me! I won't let Naraku have you! Only I can protect you from Naraku!" exclaimed the hanyou hotly.

"What!? Are you crazy? Let me go!" replied Kikyo as she tried to break free from Inuyasha's embrace.

Still, as forceful as the miko's struggle was, it wasn't long before her resolve faltered and she returned the hanyou's embrace.

"I will be the one to slay Naraku. So... you don't have to fight anymore. I will protect you."

"Inuyasha..."

"Kikyo..."

Then something unexpected happened, the undead miko pulled a knife out of her sleeve and pointed it at the hanyou's throat.

"Kikyo!?"

"Men are such fools," snorted the woman coldly. "They believe that as long as they embrace a woman she belongs to them."

"Kikyo!"

"Don't move!"

"Watching you now, I realize it so well. As long as Onigumo's heart exists within Naraku, there will be an opportunity. I will use that chance to purify Naraku and totally destroy him."

"Kikyo," whispered Inuyasha in both horror and awe at the woman's speech.

Then, the woman's soul collectors flew down and wrapped around her, lifting her off the ground in the process.

"Kikyo? Kikyo!!! KIKYOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" yelled the hanyou, his voice echoing through the forest in an anguished cry.

The silence that followed was almost deafening so it came as no real surprise when the sound of a broken twig instantly attracted Inuyasha's attention. Whirling around, his eyes instantly fell on Kagome and turned even sadder than they were before.

_"Inuyasha is looking straight at me."_

This last retort was a bit odd because it seemed to come from all around the slayer, not from the form of Kagome currently staring at the hanyou.

_"How? How can he not avert his eyes?"_

"Kagome..."

At the sound of her name, the girl stepped back as if she had been struck. And then she bolted off. Sango watched as the shape of Inuyasha disappeared along with Kagome herself.

"No wonder she was upset at the time. After such a scene I would have been too," commented the slayer. "But it doesn't help me at all. Seeing Kagome's memories isn't what I came here to do."

"No, you came here in hope of finding what's going on in here right?"

Whirling around, the slayer came face to face with a perfect replica of Kagome, exactly as she remembered it. The only difference was the obvious malice emanating from this girl. It was so incredibly strong that Sango could almost taste it.

"You're... Kagome's dark twin! The one who's trying to take over!"

"It seems my presence is no longer a secret. A pity."

"How can you be here? Kagome's holding Tessaiga! You should be sealed away behind a barrier!"

At this, the girl burst out laughing. "How utterly pathetic! You really have no idea what's going on do you? Well if you're too stupid to figure things out, then don't come to me looking for answers."

"Last I heard, you're the one who came to me, not the other way around!" snapped the slayer angrily.

This retort seemed to catch Sango's opponent off guard because she marked a pause before snorting in amusement. "Not bad. I should have expected as much from you. Just for that, I'll give you a piece of advice. Get out of here while you still can. You won't be able to find Kikyo."

With that said, Kagome's twin turned around and started to walk away. The slayer's mind frantically raced for something, anything to say that would keep her opponent from leaving her alone. True, she wasn't the one she was looking for, but she still possessed valuable information that Sango could use in the future. It was then that it struck her. Kagome's twin was _leaving_. It was leaving without even attempting to fight her. This didn't fit the description she had heard at all.

"You're powerless aren't you?" she blurted, grasping at straws and saw the girl stop and turn a startled gaze at her. Seeing she had struck home, the slayer immediately decided to push her advantage even further. "With Kagome's youkai blood sealed away, you don't have the strength to do anything! You're nothing more than a ghost inside someone's mind!"

"I'd be careful if I were you," warned the twin with a low growl. "I'm not as helpless as I look."

"You're bluffing! If you had the strength to take me out, you would have done so without a second glance! I'm too much of a threat to your existence!"

This caused the evil Kagome to grin cruelly. "You think too much of yourself Sango. You are nothing more than an insignificant insect that I can crush under my heel whenever I want. All I have to do is _this_," and the girl snapped her fingers. "And you'll simply disappear."

Instantly, a pain more violent than any she had ever felt before exploded in the slayer's chest. She instantly doubled over, her mouth open in a silent scream of agony. Through her haze of pain, she happened to glance down at her stomach and wished she hadn't. Her innards were currently spilling out of her body and sloshing to the ground. Had she been in her own body, she probably would have heaved at the gruesome sight, but as she was, she could only stare in horror.

_"Wait... I'm _not_ in my body! This is _not_ the real world! It's Kagome's soul!"_ she abruptly realized. _"Then I can't possibly be losing my guts like that... I have no guts to begin with!"_

Almost as soon as she came to this conclusion, the pain vanished and her "body" returned to normal. Straightening herself up, she couldn't help but smile in satisfaction at the wild expression Kagome's twin sported.

"It's as I said, you don't have the strength to get rid of me! You're nothing more than a pathetic ghost that doesn't have the strength to do anything alone! I bet you don't even know where Kikyo is!" she taunted and stopped short as the truth behind her own words hit her. "That's what's going on! Kikyo's been hindering you... but you can't find her! With all the power you claim to have, you can't even locate the one soul that keeps standing in your way! Now who's pathetic!"

"It seems I underestimated you! But if you think you can escape from here with the knowledge you now have, you're greatly mistaken! I took you lightly with my first blow... but now I'm going to completely destroy you!"

Sango didn't even have time to formulate a reply before an immense pressure started building inside of her. She instinctively tried to use the same tactic as before, but this time it didn't work. The pressure kept building on and on without showing any signs of stopping.

"Now won't be like before, your strength of will amounts to nothing compared to mine! Now DIE you pathetic demon slayer!"

And the woman could do absolutely nothing as she felt her body explode and blackness enveloped her perception. She half expected her consciousness to fall into a permanent state of unconsciousness as her soul faded away, but oddly enough, it wasn't what happened at all. In fact, her vision even started returning after a time.

Things were blurry at first with sounds and images being all mixed up together. But gradually she recovered her ability to sort everything out and she was able to take in her appearance... which was exactly the same as before.

"How are you feeling?"

At the sound of the voice, Sango raised her head curiously and was confronted with yet another figure dressed as a miko. This one did not possess the same aura of malice as Kagome's evil twin however, in fact the brown eyes that were staring down at her were not cold at all... they were filled with concern.

"K... Kikyo?"

"That would be me, yes. You were lucky I was able to pull the scattered remains of your soul together otherwise you would have perished."

"You... pulled my soul together?"

"Yes, Kagome's evil twin scattered it... but I was able to intervene at the last second before your soul became too dispersed to be put back together."

"I'm not sure I fully understand what you did, but thanks anyway for saving me."

"Don't mention it, but you really have to be more careful. That dark entity is far too strong for you to overcome by yourself."

"That thing's really that powerful? But I thought..."

"This being is strong, it has the ability to control Kagome's youkai blood. You, who have no idea how to fight a soul battle will stand no chance against it."

"I see... but what is that thing exactly? I originally thought it was Kagome's youkai blood... but it's obviously not."

"It is a mix of the jewel's energy overflow and every single specks of darkness present in Kagome's heart."

"What on earth created such a thing?"

"When I erected my first barrier to allow Kagome to keep her sanity, the excess energy from the jewel, instead of dissipating as I had thought it would do, crystallized around the darkness of Kagome's heart. At first, it was nothing more than a mindless amalgam... but as time went by, it gradually gained sentience until it turned into the dark entity that you've met."

"Why didn't you try to warn Kagome when you realized what was going on?"

"Things are not so simple. To communicate with Kagome, I have to reveal myself, which will inevitably spell my death. And if I'm gone, nothing will stand in this thing's way. So far, I've been able to stall it by erecting a special barrier that expands Kagome's own spiritual energy. But it's likely just a matter of time before that thing finds a way to break it."

"A barrier that expands Kagome's energy? How... never mind, that's your field. What's important right now is to find a way to get rid of this entity."

"That is indeed the core of the problem. However, my father always said that a house without good strong nails will inevitably collapse to the ground, no matter its shape or size. If we can take away what holds this entity together then this thing will cease to exist."

"And... how can we do this?"

"I'm afraid I do not know for sure. However, I suspect the answer might lie with Tessaiga..."

Before the slayer could ask what the miko meant with those words, the world they were in suddenly wavered. Kikyo's eyes widened in alarm and her tone became increasingly urgent. "She's waking up! You have to hurry! The bridge will not hold out if she becomes conscious. You must return to your own body!"

"But... I don't know where the bridge is!"

"This is the world of the mind. Think of the what, not the where. Focus on the bridge and you'll be instantly transported there!"

"I understand. Thank you Kikyo... for everything."

"Don't mention it, now go before it's too late!"

And Sango nodded in acknowledgment before closing her eyes and concentrating on what she wanted to find.

-----------------------------------------------

"Come on Kagome... don't wake up just yet... just stay asleep for a few minutes longer!" begged Miroku silently as the hanyou girl started stirring.

The said girl moaned slightly and the monk felt the bridge waver dangerously. With a supreme effort of will, he managed to keep it from collapsing, but he knew it was just a matter of seconds before it disappeared completely.

"Sango please... get out! I can't hold this much longer!"

In front of him, Kagome moaned again and her eyes fluttered. Panic welled inside Miroku as he watched his wife's lifeline flicker. In one last desperate attempt to keep the passageway open, he poured every last bit of spiritual energy he could muster to sustain the bridge causing sweat to start dripping down his face.

But in the end, it was all for nothing as only a second later, the hanyou girl opened her eyes and the passageway instantly flickered out of existence. The monk remained as he was, not moving, not even breathing, completely unable to tear his eyes away from the space between the two futons where the bridge had been only moments before.

The silence that fell on the hut then was deafening. No one moved, no one breathed. It was as if time itself had stopped moving. Miroku's mind remained absolutely blank as he simply refused to register the harsh blow reality had just dealt him. Sango, his wife, the love of his life... she was gone, dead. She would never smile, never laugh, never yell at him again. After all they had gone through together, they had finally managed to find peace, but now...

A sudden gasp from the demon slayer made him whip his head around. Not daring to believe it, Miroku held his breath as he waited for any confirmation that his hearing had not just played a cruel trick on him. Sure enough, after a few seconds of waiting, the woman's eyes fluttered open and she started looking around in confusion.

"Sango!"

The slayer's gaze instantly zeroed in on the source of the voice and she smiled when she recognized her husband.

"Miroku," she whispered tiredly. "I... think I might have... cut it a bit close."

"Shhh, it's okay. You're back now, it's all that matters," murmured the monk as he gently cupped his wife's face with his hand.

Wordlessly, Kagome stood up and padded toward the door. When she was about to exit, Sango's voice stopped her.

"Kagome?"

"You two look exhausted, why don't you get some rest and we'll all talk later?"

There was a second of silence before the demon slayer finally nodded in acceptance. Smiling gently at her friend, the hanyou girl winked before exiting the room and closing the door on the couple, thus giving them the privacy they so dearly needed right now.

---------------------------------------

It was a while later that Miroku and Sango exited their temporary room and rejoined the others in the common room. Both looked much better, though Sango still looked a little wobbly on her feet. With her husband's support though, she was able to walk without too much trouble.

"Welcome back Sango, how are you feeling?" questioned Kagome.

"Much better, though I'm still somewhat tired. However, as much as my body may need the rest, I'm afraid my mind has other ideas. So I think it's time I share what I've learned inside your soul Kagome."

This seemed to draw the general attention because at once, everyone approached and sat around her in a semi-circle. She then then started relating her adventure inside her friend's mind. The struggle she had with the dark entity, the save by Kikyo and finally, her narrow escape through the collapsing tunnel.

When she finished her story, everyone stayed silent for a few moments as they pondered on what they had just heard. Finally, it was Kagome who spoke first, though it was plain she was still lost in thought.

"So the problem isn't really with my youkai blood. It's with an entity that was born when I absorbed the jewel. I'm not sure if I should feel reassured by this."

"No sense in getting all pessimistic. At least, now we know there might be a solution to help you Kagome," commented Kaede wisely. "And my sister also mentioned the answer lies with the Tessaiga so all we have to do is find out what she meant."

"That's easier said than done old woman," grumbled Inuyasha. "My Tessaiga seals off youkai blood that's true, but it's only a temporary patch to the problem."

"Yeah, what does it have that would help us fight off this thing?" questioned Shippo while scratching his head in obvious confusion.

For a long while, no one said a thing as they all raked their brains for any possible solution to Kikyo's riddle. Inuyasha, being the less patient of them all, was the first to explode.

"Dammit! I can't take it anymore! My sword doesn't have a thing that can help us with this!"

"It obviously has if Kikyo said so," countered Kagome logically.

"Maybe she didn't actually mean the Tessaiga, but something related to it," cut in Yuna, making all heads whip to her. Surprised by the vehemence of her friends' reaction, the child actually stiffened and her cheeks began to turn slightly pink in embarrassment.

"You know, now that I think about it, Kikyo did seem about to add something when Kagome started to awake."

"You mean she didn't finish her sentence!? Well that's just great! Now we'll never know what she meant! She could have said just about anything!" snapped Inuyasha in obvious irritation.

"Would you calm down for a second? Even if Kikyo never got to finish her sentence, we still know that whatever she might have added was related to the Tessaiga in some way. So if we think of something that's related to your sword, we might actually stumble upon the answer."

"Well then if we take her words as a starting ground, we might have a better clue. According to Sango, she said 'I think the answer might lie with Tessaiga' and then she was cut off. So obviously, what we're looking for is linked with the Tessaiga... like Tessaiga's scabbard for instance," offered Miroku pensively.

"Or Tessaiga's blade," said Shippo.

"Tessaiga's hilt," proposed Yuna.

"Tessaiga's owner," said Kagura and snorted at the murderous look Inuyasha shot her.

"Tessaiga's creator," blurted Kagome, following the wind sorceress' train of thought.

"Well in that case she would have said Totosai didn't she?" countered Inuyasha sardonically.

"Yeah, that's..." but then she stopped short as the realization hit her full force. "Wait, she doesn't know him!"

Everyone looked at each other in surprise at this revelation. "You know, that's right. Kikyo-sama never did meet Totosai," confirmed Miroku.

"So it's possible that he was the one she was referring to," agreed Sango.

"I have to admit it makes sense. He is the one who created Tessaiga to contain Inuyasha's youkai blood... so maybe he can create another sword to help Kagome with her own problem."

"A sword that would help me fight off this entity within me? That sounds a little far-fetched to me," commented Kagome dubiously.

"You mustn't underestimate Totosai's powers Kagome. He did create a sword that can bring the dead back to life, that's quite the feat. I bet that with one of your fang, he'll be able to make a sword that will rival Tessaiga in power," commented Myoga enthusiastically.

"You! Now where the hell have you been you damn bastard!?" exclaimed Inuyasha when he spotted the insect hopping on his mate's shoulder.

"Well I... decided to go for a little walk."

"Yeah whatever, I bet you didn't want to risk getting chosen for the spiritual diving right?"

"Of course not! Inuyasha-sama, how could you think that of me!?"

"Oh knock it off, we have more important matters to deal with than Myoga's cowardly behavior!" interrupted Kagome before things could get out of hand. "Now, are you sure Totosai has the ability to make me a sword?"

"Absolutely! With one of your fang to work with, he will surely create a masterpiece!" exclaimed the insect enthusiastically.

"What do you think Inuyasha?"

"Well that old geezer's rather gifted when it comes to swords that's for sure... but he's not exactly close by. It's a week's travel to his place. With the time it's gonna take for him to actually make the blade – if he even decides to make one that is – fall's going to be pretty advanced by the time we get back here."

"Still, it's our only lead and waiting all winter isn't an option either."

"I know that wench. That's why we're going to go... but just the two of us."

The silence that followed this declaration was so great that for a time, the hanyou wondered if his friends had actually heard what he said. That was before everyone suddenly started crying out their protestations in a jumble of voices so intermingled that he couldn't make out heads or tails of it. Casting an irritated gaze at his mate, he took a deep breath and cut everyone off.

"WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP!!!!"

And they all immediately obeyed, thus giving him the opportunity to explain his decision. "First of all, Sango and Miroku, you have a house to finish. If you come with us, you'll never be settled down in time for winter."

"And what about you Kagura? Yuna's sick. Sure it might be just a cold, but do you honestly think such a long trip will help her health?"

"And you Shippo, if you do come with us, you won't be able to see Yuna for at least a month, are you sure you're okay with this?"

When he finished his tirade, he looked at the astonished faces of his friends and saw with great satisfaction that he had actually managed to score a point against them, something that wasn't a common occurrence for him. The sense of satisfaction was only heightened when he saw and felt how pleased Kagome was at his outburst. Carefully hiding his real emotions behind a fierce scowl, he decided to definitively close the debate.

"So, who else wants to come?" he demanded coldly and everyone lowered his gaze to the floor. "I didn't think so. Now if you'll excuse us, Kagome and I have a trip to prepare."

With that said, the hanyou gestured at his wife and they both walked out of the hut, leaving their still astonished friends behind to process something that none of them seemed to have fully realized yet: They were not down the road chasing jewel shards anymore. They were either married couple, mother and daughter or close friends. The common foe they had all fought so hard to defeat was gone, their struggle was over and they could finally move on. And that meant... that they now had their separate lives to live.

------------------------------

**Author's note: **Well, there you have it, a little bit of a close call there with Sango he he he. Still, the mysteries of the dark entity haunting Kagome has been revealed and I even managed to throw in a little bit of Kikyo. I bet you didn't think I'd put her in this story he he he. Anyway, thanks for your patience and I'll see you next chapter... we're going to see Kanna this time and believe me, it was NOT an easy part to write about.


	10. Shifting void

**Disclaimer:** Most of the characters in this story are the actual work of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own them in any way.

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**Chapter 7: Shifting void**

_"Would you mind reminding me again the reason for our presence here?"_ questioned Shiro in an utterly bored voice.

"..."

_"Great there you go again with the silent treatment. Look, didn't Naraku sent you here to try and figure out the jewel's whereabouts?"_

"..."

Sighing in irritation, Kanna's inner voice continued nonetheless. _"So far, we've seen that youkai woman – Kagura her name was I think – had made friend with the people we were spying upon and had actually adopted a young human girl. Then we've seen that the girl who was resurrected by the jewel was turned into a hanyou, though we have no idea how that came to pass. Finally, we've seen a monk and a demon slayer actually going at it in the middle of the forest – something I definitively could have gone without by the way. As "interesting" as all this might be, I find I must point out that we're no closer to actually finding out this stupid jewel's whereabouts."_

"You are distracting," finally conceded the white-clad girl.

_"Of course I am, it's the only way to get you to answer me!"_

"You are breaking your word."

There was a short stupefied pause on Shiro's part as she took this unexpected piece of information. _"Breaking my word!? How on earth am I breaking my word?"_

"You promised not to distract me."

_"I promised not to _hinder_ you! And quite frankly, I don't see how this conversation is hindering you considering the fact that we're currently sitting in a tree, observing the scenery and waiting for something to happen."_

"I cannot risk being seen, otherwise everything is lost."

_"Don't you think I know that? Whatever happens to you happens to me remember? I'm not trying to make you take unnecessary risks, I'm just trying to find a way to speed things up a little."_

"I do not understand why you are so eager to see this assignment fulfilled. It does not benefit you in any way."

_"Really now? And what do you think Naraku will do to you if you don't meet with his standards?"_

Now that was an easy one, whatever or whoever was not useful to him, Naraku discarded (or killed, depending on the savagery of your vocabulary) without a second thought. The sudden realization that she would most likely not be an exception to this rule was cause enough for her to actually pause and blink twice.

"What do you propose?" she finally asked.

_"Well I don't know, it's true you're not much of a fighter so if you're seen then it's pretty much over for both of us... but still, observing from a distance won't get us anything more than what we already have. We need another plan."_

"You are stating the obvious without actually proposing a valid solution."

_"Yeah well, at least I'm willing to look for one... something which you don't seem very keen on doing right now!"_

"I am willing to look for a way. I merely do not have any idea at the moment."

_"All the more reason for us to look for one!"_

"Indeed."

Had Shiro possessed a body of her own, it was quite possible she would have banged her head into a wall.

_"Are you even _trying_!"_

"I am, but you talking to me is hampering my reasoning."

_"And how far exactly are you in your reasoning?"_

"To the point where a new idea must be found."

Groaning in complete and utter desperation at her host's complete lack of skill in the reasoning process, Shiro did the mental equivalent of taking a deep breath to soothe her nerves and began trying to teach the empty girl how to think.

_"That's a start I suppose... but you need to go a little further than this if you are to find a solution. First, let's try voicing the problem shall we?"_

"I do not see how that will help."

_"Look just do it already! I'm trying to help you here!"_

"If you insist. The current problem is that we do not know where the jewel is."

_"Good. Now who exactly might be able to enlighten us on this particular topic?"_

"Inuyasha and all of his friends."

_"Right again. The problem however is that we can't really approach them without risking detection. So is there anyone else in this village who might know?"_

This time, the answer was not immediate as Kanna pondered on this. The village in itself was pretty small, roughly about a hundred inhabitants. That meant pretty much everyone knew each other... and it also meant everyone knew just about everything that happened to everyone else.

"It is likely most of the villagers are aware at least in part of what happened."

_"Well, you see, you _can_ think when you really want to. So basically, all we have to do is find a way to ask a villager about the jewel without him actually knowing about it. Do we have a way to accomplish this?"_

Kanna actually blinked as the answer to that particular question literally jumped in her face. The solution to their problem was so incredibly obvious that she even started to wonder why it took Shiro's help for her to even think about it.

"My mirror."

Now it was Shiro's turn to be surprised. _"Your mirror can do that?"_

"Yes."

Shiro couldn't help but groan at Kanna's monosyllabic answer. _"Sorry, my mistake. Make that 'how can your mirror do that'?"_ she asked again impatiently.

"A person without a soul loses its awareness and will do whatever I ask him to do without question."

_"Including answering a few questions... That's absolutely brilliant Kanna! Now all that's left is to find an isolated villager and use your mirror to question him."_

"Yes," answered the girl dully before she jumped down her perch and started walking closer to the village in search of a proper target.

She had taken about three steps when suddenly a gentle wind stirred the trees around her. The breeze was neither stronger nor weaker, neither colder nor warmer than any of the others she had felt in the previous days... yet something in this particular breeze caused her to stop and look around in confusion.

As she did so, the air swirled around her, softly caressing her face and ruffling her hair the way a mother would do to a child. A few stray dead leaves left the ground and twirled around her, one of them accidentally catching in her white tresses. Seeing this, she reached out and reverently pulled it free, allowing it to fly away into the sky, free from its bonds.

"Free..." she murmured, the word inevitably bringing to mind the image of a youkai woman, richly dressed with deep red eyes that could have entranced any men if they hadn't been so cold. "Kagura..."

_"Hey, are you okay?"_ questioned Shiro when she noticed her host's peculiar behavior.

Kanna wasn't listening however. Instead, she started walking again, this time heading in the direction the breeze had come from. There was absolutely no logic to her behavior and even less purpose... yet she couldn't help herself. Something was pulling her in this particular direction and she simply couldn't find the will to resist.

After a short walk, she arrived at the border of a large clearing with a small stream flowing through it... and beside it, Kagura was currently cradling a young girl in her arms, looking distinctly concerned. Due to the distance, she couldn't hear what was been said, but at one point, the child coughed, which seemed to bring the conversation to a close.

Kanna could only watch as her younger sister started down a path toward the village, followed closely by the girl and the kitsune she remembered as Shippo, a member of Inuyasha's group. As if summoned by her thought, the said hanyou and his mate appeared seemingly out of nowhere and started talking to the wind sorceress rather animately.

As the brief conversation came to an end and the group turned to leave, a wave of vertigo suddenly caused Kanna to stagger forward and almost fall to her knees. Her vision swayed and for a split-second, she even saw two Kagura instead of one. In an effort to regain control of her wavering senses, she closed her eyes and shook her head, but in the end, it only served to worsen her condition.

And then, just as she was about to collapse, everything stopped, leaving her a panting and confused mess.

"Shiro..." she accused.

Having expected her inner voice to counter her accusation, or at least answer her claim, Kanna was somewhat taken aback when no answer came.

"Shiro?" she repeated.

This time, she felt her soul stir and the familiar presence of her inner voice reappeared. _"K... Kanna... w... what was that?"_

"You felt it too?"

_"If I felt it... I almost disappeared completely _because_ of it! Not that you would care!"_

"..."

_"You know you could at least try to show some measure of..."_ started Shiro angry at her host's silence.

But when she noticed what had caught the girl's attention, all the words she was about to say vanished into oblivion. Back on the path, Kagura had stopped walking... and was now looking straight at them.

--------------------------------

_"Weeeeww, that was _scary_! I thought for sure she had spotted us,"_ exclaimed Shiro in relief, long after Kagura disappeared down the path.

"..."

_"What? Weren't you even the slightest bit... oh right, I almost forgot, you're 'empty' right?"_

"..."

_"And here we go again. What's the matter _now_ oh venerable host?"_ questioned Shiro, irritated by Kanna's silence.

"The wind is... weeping."

_"Weeping? Since when does the wind weep?"_

"Something is saddening Kagura."

_"Something is... Okay, now I'm officially lost, would you mind explaining your reasoning here because quite frankly, I don't see the link."_

"Kagura controls the wind," answered Kanna, as if that explained anything.

_"What does that have to do with everything!?"_

"The wind reflects her emotions."

Now it was Shiro's turn to be momentarily speechless. Not having any emotions made Kanna excessively blunt and to the point. This made normal conversation close to impossible... and made her revelations all the more surprising because of her lack of tact. Now was no exception to this rule.

_"Would you mind explaining how you can be so sure of yourself?"_

"Kagura is my sister."

This time, Shiro wasn't just surprised, she was positively astonished. Had it been possible, she would have gaped stupidly at her host, but as it was, all she did manage to do was stay silent as she processed this new and totally unexpected piece of information.

_"SAY WHAT!?"_

Kanna couldn't help but wince as the voice exploded so loud in her head, that her very soul seemed to shake.

"You are being uselessly loud," she commented.

_"And whose fault is that!? For crying out loud, we've been spying on your own sister! Don't you have any shame!?"_

"Naraku ordered it."

_"Dammit, with you it's always Naraku this and Naraku that!!!! It's your younger sister we're talking about, aren't you supposed to be looking out for her instead of spying on her!?"_

"..."

_"Don't you dare ignore me this time! I demand an answer and I won't keep quiet until I have one!"_

"How do you know?"

_"How do I know what!?"_

"How do you know Kagura is my younger sister?"

_"Well, you just told..."_ but abruptly Shiro's anger vanished along with her words. While Kanna had indeed mentioned her link with Kagura, she did not say anything about the wind sorceress' age.

"How do you know?"

Somehow, Kanna's voice, while being totally emotionless, still managed to sound surprisingly demanding and Shiro found herself shrinking away despite herself. _"I... wish I knew," _she finally admitted truthfully.

The white-clad girl blinked twice, trying to figure out what to do next. Ever since she appeared, Shiro had been a complete mystery. With no memories of her own, it had been impossible to tell how she had ended up where she currently was. And even now, as she showed some signs that she indeed remembered something, it only served to deepen the mystery surrounding her.

_"You know, even if I don't know how I know... I still mean what I said. If she's your sister then I do think it's wrong to spy on her like that. Why don't you try going to her? I'm sure you two could work something out."_

"Naraku would not approve."

_"Of course he wouldn't, that's the whole point."_

"I cannot go against his orders."

_"And why not? If you go and ask these people for help, I'm sure they'll answer... and in his state, Naraku wouldn't be any match for them."_

"I will not go against his orders."

_"Oh I give up! Trying to reason with you is like trying to reason with a mountain!"_ exclaimed Shiro, disdainfully. _"Go ahead, spy on her, betray her, sell her back to Naraku for all I care! What does it matter anyway, she's only your sister!"_

"You are unusually emotional."

_"And you're unusually _un_-emotional! Kagura's your sister, your family! Doesn't this mean anything to you!?"_

Kanna didn't answer right away. Somehow, the pleading tone Shiro had used spurred an unexplainable impulse to delve into her memory and try to find an answer she wasn't sure existed. Unlike Naraku's other incarnations, Kagura and her had both been created from the same seed, thus making them as close to real sisters as was possible considering the peculiar circumstances of their birth. However, she'd never really given much thought to the full meaning of this connection... in fact, she never really had an opportunity to think at all.

Now though, things were slightly different. She was trying to learn to fill the void that she was in order to ensure she could have a future after Naraku. So, even as she drew a blank on Shiro's question, she realized it might be to her best interest to know more about this connection as it could very well spell her survival if Naraku was ever to be defeated.

"Teach me."

_"Eh?"_

"You are supposed to be my teacher so teach me."

_"Teach you what?"_

"The meaning of the word... family."

_"You mean... that the fact Kagura is your sister... really doesn't mean a thing to you?"_

"No."

_"Well, considering you don't have any emotions, I shouldn't be surprised," _sighed Shiro in resignation.

"Emotions are necessary to understand the word family?"

_"For the most part yes. 'Family' refers to a highly emotional bond... which you are incapable of understanding because of how you currently are."_

"So without emotions, I will never be able to understand what it means to have a sister?"

_"I'm afraid it will be a bit difficult... but I can still explain it to you if you want."_

Kanna did not answer right away, too confused by this new turn of events to reason out what to do. She never would have thought that her emotionless state would actually rob her of something... yet there it was. 'Family' would forever remain a mere word to her, a word that defined a bond she could never really share in because of what she was.

And somehow, with this realization came another even more troubling: If she had missed out on the concept of 'family'... how many other things had she missed out on? How many emotion-related concepts was she not understanding right now? How much of the working of the world was slipping between her fingers without her even realizing it?

"I wish to know... explain," she finally answered.

And as Shiro started her explanation, something flickered inside Kanna. An idea, dismissed just about as soon as it entered her head. The idea that maybe, just maybe, Naraku hadn't done her a favor by creating her as she was.

---------------------------------

**Author's note:** Okay... first and foremost I will say Kanna's a damn bitch to write about. I mean, have you ever tried to write about a character who has no emotions and barely has a thought process? Anyway, just so you know, I don't hate Kanna at all. I happen to find her character really original and mysterious. Putting it on paper though is one hell of a challenge. Anyway, I think I ended up with a more than decent result. See you all next chapter.


	11. Older sister

**Disclaimer:** Most of the characters in this story are the actual work of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own them in any way.**  
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**Chapter 8: Older sister**

The sun shone beautifully in a cloudless autumn sky as the two villagers climbed the steep path that lead to the forest. Both being armed with axes and some ropes, their intention was pretty obvious to figure out. The first was a tall individual, dressed in a gray working outfit that had seen better days, but was still more than decent enough. The second was a bit shorter and his clothes were of pretty much the same style, though they were brown. Both chatted amiably on their way and couldn't help but shiver slightly when a cold breeze swept through the trees.

"So, I take it you're arm's better now Sojiro?" asked the tall villager.

"Yep, all fixed up," announced the short one, flexing his limb in demonstration. "Kagome-sama sure did wonder with it, I barely have a scar to show."

"What? But you cut your entire forearm when you fell on that scythe!"

"Well it's true. Look," and Sojiro pulled up his sleeve, revealing a forearm striped with a thin still-pink scar from his recently-healed injury.

"I'll be damned!" but then the tall villager frowned in confusion. "What are those tiny dots lining the scar?"

"Oh that. Well, I don't know where she learned how to do this, but she actually sewed my wound right back together. I was surprised myself, but hey, who am I to complain?" answered the brown-clad villager with a shrug.

"She stuck a needle inside of you!?" exclaimed the other with a visible shiver of disgust.

"Oh, I was a bit out with pain at the time and she gave me something to make me sleep so I didn't notice really. And even then, I didn't notice the 'stitching' – that's how she called what she did by the way – until she changed my bandage."

"Well I'll be damned! I didn't know you could sew a person."

"Me neither, but it sure did work though. My arm's as good as new," replied Sojiro while putting his sleeve back into place.

This little piece of conversation thus concluded, the pair returned their focus to the path ahead and froze. Standing not ten paces in front of them was a young girl of about ten years old, all dressed in white and holding a mirror. Before any of them could utter a single word, she rotated the reflective object sideway... and that was the last thing they knew.

Only when the two globes of light safely disappeared into her mirror did Kanna take the risk to advance forward and look at the two empty villagers.

"Are you two alone?" she asked in her quiet and emotionless voice.

"Yes," answered the tall one numbly.

That was a good thing and she felt Shiro's consciousness settle down inside her head, a sign she had come to interpret as relief on her part. Turning to her preys, she promptly started asking that which she had set herself to ask.

"Do you know where the shikon jewel is?"

"It's gone," answered the short one.

Now this caused Kanna to mark a pause. This was pretty unexpected. Naraku had said that getting rid of the jewel was close to impossible. He had reasoned that if making a selfish wish did not get rid of it, there was just no way a selfless one could. Had he been wrong?

"What happened to it?"

"Kagome-sama absorbed its powers... which turned her into a hanyou. At least that's what we heard."

Another uncertain pause. Naraku would not be pleased to hear this particular news. He had counted on the jewel still being in existence when he found a new body, but it seemed that he had miscalculated yet again. She was in the process of wondering what to ask next when Shiro decided to intervene.

_"Why don't you ask about Kagura? It would be nice to know what's going on with her don't you think?"_

"It is irrelevant to our inquiry."

_"Your inquiry's pretty much over you know. The jewel's gone and there's little anyone can do about it. Naraku's never going to know if you ask a few more... personal questions."_

Kanna pondered on this for a few seconds. Her orders had been clear. Spy on the group and try to find the jewel's whereabouts. When she actually managed to find it, come back to him immediately to report. However, there was no specific instructions concerning Kagura, meaning that her presence here was not something Naraku had expected. Now, with no orders, she normally wouldn't have even considered asking. However, she couldn't deny that she found her sister's new situation... intriguing and was somewhat compelled to learn a bit more about it.

"What do you know of Kagura?"

"She's nice enough even though she's a youkai. She came here a while ago with Yuna-chan. She sews surprisingly well and she's making plans to have her house built," answered the short villager.

Kanna couldn't help but mark a pause at this. As if her sister's presence here was not surprising enough, now she had to picture her with pins and needles, not something she would have expected from someone who desired nothing more than to be free like the wind.

_"She probably found something more important than her own freedom,"_ said Shiro, answering her silent interrogation. _"He did say she came here with a young girl."_

There wasn't many other possible explanations. For her sister to sympathize with her former enemies _and_ with a human, the circumstances must have been rather extraordinary.

"The young girl, who is she?"

"From what we heard, she used to be a slave Kagura rescued. It also seems she has some sort of power that she's learning to control. She's also one hell of a good cook, she made me lunch once..."

"Enough," cut in Kanna, finding such rambling to be of little interest. Then, judging she had kept these two under her control long enough, she decided to give her last order, meant to ensure her little interruption would not be discovered. "You two shall forget all about seeing me on the path. You shall continue on as if nothing had happened at all."

She did not wait for them to agree, she merely walked off the path and hid herself behind a tree and freed their souls from her mirror. The balls of light promptly returned to their owner's body and she watched as they shook themselves, awareness coming back to them. They looked slightly confused for a few seconds, but then quickly shrugged off the feeling and walked off.

_"Well, that sure was... interesting,"_ commented Shiro once they were alone once again.

Kanna, not surprisingly, did not answer her inner voice's comment. Instead, she turned on her heels and started walking away, an action which of course, caused Shiro to let out an exclamation of surprise.

_"Where on earth are you going?"_

"Back to Naraku."

This time, Kanna's inner presence's astonishment was so great that the girl actually felt the shock of it reverberate through her skull.

_"YOU'RE WHAT!?"_

"There is nothing left for me to do here," came the simple answer.

_"But what about Kagura? Why did you ask questions about her if you're going to just turn around and leave?"_

Before the white-clad girl could answer however, Shiro had already reached a conclusion and again her shock reverberated through Kanna's skull. _"No... god tell me I'm wrong... Kanna, you can't possibly be intending on reporting her to Naraku?"_

"I was merely instructed to search for the jewel's location."

Shiro marked a startled pause before continuing. _"You mean you won't report her?"_

"No."

_"But... why did you ask then?"_

"I had to make sure she was okay."

_"Had to..."_ trailed off Shiro, completely lost now. _"Dammit Kanna, would you stop it with the cryptic answers? When on earth did you develop this unexpected sense of kinship?"_

"You are the one who explained the meaning of the word family to me," came the blunt answer.

And again Shiro found herself frozen in shock. Though she couldn't decide if she was more shocked at Kanna's behavior or at the fact that her explanation had actually yielded concrete results.

_"You mean that you're actually starting to care about your sister?"_

"No."

_"Then why?"_ snapped Shiro irritably, fed up with Kanna's emotionless behavior.

"You said that, as older sister, I should try and protect her from harm. I was merely making sure she was not in any harmful position."

Typical Kanna answer. Cold hard truth without any form of apparatus to make it easier to swallow... yet at the same time so incredibly confusing and incomplete that one simply couldn't help but stare in shock. As it was, staring wasn't exactly something physically possible for Shiro, but she did remain silent for long minutes as she processed that last statement and attempted to extract all of its implications.

_"Okay, so let me get this straight. You don't feel anything for Kagura... yet you actually act as if she's important to you... because I _told_ you to?"_

"Yes."

_"Dammit stop it with the monosyllabic answers already! Explain yourself!"_

"You explained the concept of family to me... so now I know how I should act as an older sister."

Again Shiro simply couldn't help but mark a startled pause. The answer was so blatantly simple and yet the image it created was so incredibly strange that for a while, she couldn't say anything. It was like looking at a coin that had only one side. Kanna knew how she should act and so she acted that way... not because of the emotions involved, but because it was how she was supposed to act. Incongruous as that might seem at first, Shiro gradually began to realize that it was the best that could be expected from her host because she was incomplete to begin with.

_"I... think I understand,"_ she finally stammered after a long pause. _"But still, are you just going to leave like that?"_

"Her situation is secure. She is safe and well. There is nothing left for me to do."

_"But..."_ hesitated Shiro, trying to find something to say that might sway her host to stay a little longer. _"You said the wind was weeping!"_

Kanna stopped. _"You said her heart was troubled. Don't you think you should ascertain the reason for this before going away?"_

Hesitantly, the girl looked back at the village while pondering on this new development. She did not understand emotions and as such, she highly doubted she could do anything to ease Kagura's troubles. Yet at the same time, she was the older sister and it was her duty to do whatever she could to ensure her sibling's wellbeing.

"I would be required to go into the village and observe her directly. The risk is great," she said.

Just then, a soft breeze ruffled her bangs gently and she couldn't help but turn so that it blew against her face. She listened for a while, trying to discern something in it, but this was just an ordinary gust of wind, silent and impersonal.

_"She's your sister Kanna. Isn't that reason enough to warrant taking a small risk?"_ Shiro countered softly, as if sensing her host's contemplative behavior.

And try as she might, the white-clad girl couldn't find anything to answer to that.

--------------------------------------

Kagura hummed quietly as she worked the needle into the thick wool of the winter kimono she was currently making. It wasn't easy to make clothing from scratch, yet despite the difficulty, she found the task to be extremely invigorating. In fact, sewing in itself was fun... but in this particular case, there was an added incentive.

A round of laughter caused her to turn her head and smile. At the other side of Kaede's common room, Yuna was playing Uno with Shippo and Yukina, another one of her friend. The girl had lost her mother to disease not too long ago, thus making the connection all the more easy to make. Coincidentally, she was also of similar height and built as Yuna, which helped her current scheme tremendously, for the kimono she was currently sewing was a gift she was preparing for her child.

Of course, the said girl was blissfully unaware of this fact, thinking the current piece of clothing had been commissioned by Yukina's father. The plan was as simple as it was perfect, it even allowed her to work without fear of being found out.

Shifting her attention to the window, she realized that the sun was sitting pretty low on the horizon and that it was now time for everyone to go home. Carefully, she took her piece of work and reverently put it away in a wooden chest that had been graciously offered to her by a villager as payment for her work.

"All right Yukina, Shippo... I think it's time for you two to go home," she announced, snapping the lid of the chest down for emphasis.

"Aw... must we really? Come on Kagura-san, just another game please," begged Yukina.

The sorceress snorted at this suggestion. "Yes of course. That way you'll have an opportunity to break the record you set last time right?"

At this, all three youth turned immediately bright crimson and looked down abashedly. Everyone remembered what had happened two days ago when Kagura had made the mistake of giving in to their request: They had kept the game going for hours and would have continued had Yukina's father not come and dragged his daughter away, giving a piece of his mind to Kagura in the process.

"I thought so," replied the sorceress sternly. "Come now you two, off you go. Yuna's still sick and she needs her rest."

Grudgingly, the children stood up and started gathering their things, making every efforts to take their times about it. Kagura rolled her eyes at this, but refrained from commenting for fear of making things even slower than they already were. Finally, after long minutes, the interminable process of collecting the cards and stacking them together was over and the two guests could finally be showed to the door.

"It was fun Yuna. I'll see you tomorrow okay?" called Yukina cheerfully.

"Yes, see you tomorrow Yuki-chan," replied the sick girl with a wave. "And you too Shippo-kun."

"See you tomorrow Yuna," answered the kitsune with a smile.

And with that said, both kitsune and human walked out the door, leaving Kagura and Yuna alone together. Stretching, the wind sorceress gazed at her child, noting that she was a bit pale. Discreetly she took in her scent, but did not detect anything alarming. Thus reassured, she turned her attention to the mundane task of preparing dinner.

"Well, that was a nice and cozy afternoon. How about we finish it with a healthy meal?" she questioned cheerfully, knowing how much the child loved to cook.

Surprisingly, this time Yuna didn't show her usual enthusiasm, she merely gulped and nodded. This unusual reaction instantly set Kagura's motherly instincts on full alert and her cheerfulness was promptly washed away by concern.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"No I... " began the girl but trailed off as she realized just what she had been about to say. "Well... I'm feeling a little queasy."

Kneeling beside the girl, Kagura placed her hand on her forehead and noted it was slightly warm, though not alarmingly so. What's more, her scent did not betray anything other than her cold. This meant her loss of appetite was quite probably due to her sickness, something Kaede had warned her would happen.

"You were feeling sick all afternoon and you still kept playing with Shippo and Yukina?" she questioned with a disapproving frown.

"No, I was feeling okay until just now when you... mentioned food Kagura-sama," explained Yuna with a small grimace.

"I see..." replied the youkai thoughtfully. "Come then, I'll get you to bed."

Before the child could so much as protest, Kagura had scooped her up in her arms and was heading for their room. After a few minutes spent spreading out the child's bedding, the sorceress was able to tuck in Yuna and gently caress her forehead.

"I'll bring you something light to eat. I know you're not really hungry, but you have to eat something or else you'll get even sicker. If you need me, just call okay?"

Yuna nodded obediently before settling down in the covers. Seeing that all immediate threat to her charge was now taken care of, Kagura stood up and went back to the common room where she promptly set to the task of preparing a meal. She wasn't exactly what one could call a good cook, but she had learned in the past few months and she could manage simple recipes well enough.

Not wasting any time, she quickly got the fire going and poured water into a pot for boiling. After that, she chopped down a few vegetables, measured a serving of rice and poured everything into the warm water. When that was done, she added a few small pieces of ginger for fragrance and let the everything simmer happily away, stirring occasionally to keep the mix from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

And that was how Kaede found her a few minutes later when she came back from her rounds. She inhaled appreciatively the sweet scent of ginger emanating from the stew currently cooking over the fire and smiled at the sorceress.

"Something smells good," she commented lightly.

"Does it now?" replied Kagura. "Yuna's feeling a little nauseous so I'm preparing this for her."

"Is that so? Did her fever go up then?"

"Well, she was slightly warm, though nothing too serious so far as I could tell. I've put her to bed and I think that with a good night's sleep she should be fine."

"Shall I go and check up on her?"

"Well... I'm sure you must be tired from your rounds Kaede. I do not mean to..." but the sorceress was cut short by a snort from the old miko.

"Oh spare me the false guilt Kagura. It is plain obvious that you really want me to check up on your child, if only to make sure she's okay. You worry about dinner and I shall worry about her... is that fair enough a trade for you?"

The sorceress wasn't one for mood swings, but at Kaede's words, she felt her heart wrench painfully in her chest and she had to avert her gaze to keep the old miko from seeing the pain flashing in her eyes. Of course, this gesture proved to be somewhat futile as it gave away her current state of mind.

"Is something amiss girl?" asked the woman in concern.

"It's nothing Kaede," tried to brush off the sorceress, but of course, the said miko knew better.

"What have I said to make you so sad Kagura?"

"As I said, it's nothing really... just some stupid thing, some selfish thing that won't go away," continued the sorceress, feeling tears burn at the corner of her eyes, forcing her to clench them shut to keep the moisture from spilling over.

"This hardly seems to be the trivial thing you claim it is if it causes you to break down like that. What is it Kagura? What is it that plagues you?"

For long minutes, the sorceress stayed silent, clenching and unclenching her hands in a vain attempt to regain control of her emotions, but it was all to no avail. Finally, letting out a long sigh, she hunched her shoulders and opened her eyes.

"It's nothing Kaede... really nothing. It's just... what child calls her mother... 'Kagura-sama'?" she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Only silence greeted those words and Kagura did not dare look up, instead she wiped her teary eyes with her sleeve and busied herself with stirring Yuna's meal. After a while, she allowed herself to smile sadly and shake her head, in a futile attempt to shake off her pain.

"I'm sorry... it's selfish... I'll never be her real mother I know that... so I can't ask her to betray..."

She was interrupted in her rambling by a comforting hand on her shoulder. Shifting her gaze, she was confronted by the sympathetic face of Kaede.

"There is nothing selfish in your desire Kagura. It is simply an expression of your strong feelings for Yuna."

"I... It is?"

"Aye. You consider yourself to be Yuna's mother yet the child continues to call you by your name. So you feel as if she does not fully recognizes you, which in turn makes you suffer. Such a thing is perfectly normal I assure you."

"But then... what do I have to do? What will it take for her to fully recognize me?"

"There is nothing more you can do girl. Only time will make Yuna see the truth. Keep in mind though that it has only been four months since you freed her. She must still be trying to cope with all the changes that happened in her life."

"I know Kaede... it's just, she called me 'mommy' once in her sleep and it made me so happy..."

"Do not despair Kagura, one day she shall call you mother."

And as the sorceress nodded in sad understanding, she felt a small prickle at the back of her mind and instinctively turned her head toward the window. Frowning, she stood up and looked outside, but she could see nothing out of the ordinary.

"Kagura is anything the matter?"

"No it's okay... I think I might be more tired than I thought. My imagination's starting to play tricks on me," she replied with a shake of her head.

"If you say so," answered the old miko dubiously.

Of course, had Kagura not dismissed her feeling and had wandered out at this very moment, she would have seen the white-clad shape of Kanna emerge from behind the pile of firewood and walk calmly away, only to be swallowed minutes later by the growing darkness of the surrounding forest.

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**Author's note:** Well, it's been quite a while since my last update... free time is dwindling I guess. Another Kanna chapter that was a bitch to write. I swear this emotionless girl is going to drive me crazy. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Read and review everyone


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